Dene Mackenzie

Otago employers appear desperately short of staff as the number of jobs advertised in the year ended April soared nearly 37%.

New Zealand's unemployment rate has fallen to a low 4.9%, despite the increase in the participation rate to 70.6%.

Seasonal factors are likely to have affected unemployment rates in the South Island during the three months ended March.

Job losses are sure to follow the Commerce Commission decision yesterday to turn down the proposed merger between media companies NZME and Fairfax New Zealand.

Allied Press has welcomed the Commerce Commission decision to turn down the proposed merger between NZME and Fairfax New Zealand.

Prime Minister Bill English continues to clear the decks of distracting detail before the release of Budget 2017 on May 25.

ANZ New Zealand continues to grow its profits, announcing yesterday cash profit was up 24% to $928million for the six months ending March.

Dunedin North MP David Clark continues his rise in the Labour Party, becoming No8 on the party list for the September 23 election, well up from 26 at the 2014 election.

The first information meeting for the Tuapeka Gold Print property syndicate will be held in Queenstown this morning, to be followed by another in Dunedin tonight.

The New Zealand economy will be back in the spotlight in what is a busy week for announcements leading up to a Reserve Bank official cash rate review and the Government's Budget 2017.

Genesis Energy's credit rating was not immediately affected by the company's planned purchase of Nova Energy's lpg business for $192million, credit rating agency Standard & Poor's said.

Genesis Energy is buying Nova Energy's retail lpg business for $192million and Forsyth Barr broker Damian Foster is questioning the price.

New Zealand's employment picture will become clearer on Wednesday when Statistics New Zealand releases its latest data, although most economists agree on continuing employment growth in March.

New Zealand businesses should take a close interest in the tax changes being proposed by United States President Donald Trump, a US international tax expert visiting Dunedin says.

New Zealand building consents reached a record $2billion in March, boosted by new homes and several big non-residential projects.

Tuapeka Gold Print is likely to create more than 200 new jobs over the next four years as it expands its business following what is hoped to be a successful capital-raising.

Where there was smoke and mirrors, there was also Finance Minister Steven Joyce, Labour finance spokesman Grant Robertson said yesterday.

Finance Minister Steven Joyce intends spending up large on new capital infrastructure over the next four years, perhaps opening the way to announce tax changes in Budget 2017 next month.

Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan is warning politicians against giving the appearance of New Zealand not being a welcoming place to come to live.