The unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent in the September quarter from 6.9 percent in the previous three months, as the number of people employed rose 23,000 or 1 percent to 2.19 million.
At the same time, the seasonally adjusted figures showed the number of people unemployed fell 10,000 or 6.1 percent to 150,000, Statistics New Zealand said today in a report on the latest Household Labour Force Survey.
Figures for men and women diverged, with female unemployment rising to 7.2 percent from 6.8 percent in the previous quarter, while the male unemployment rate fell to 5.7 percent from 6.9 percent.
Males in employment rose by 21,000, while females were up by 1000 in the latest quarter, but the number of unemployed males fell by 15,000 and the number of unemployed females rose by 5000. Actual hours worked in the September quarter rose by 0.8 percent.
Overall, part time jobs rose 13,000 or 2.7 percent and full time employment lifted 10,000 or 0.6 percent. For the year to September, part time employment was up 0.8 percent and full time up 2.1 percent.
The working age population rose an unadjusted 0.3 percent or 8700 during the September quarter, and by 46,000 or 1.4 percent in the year, to reach 3.43m.
