4 May 2012

Auckland unemployment rate rises

1:31 pm on 4 May 2012

Auckland's workforce is continuing to grow but the number who have jobs has fallen.

Statistics New Zealand figures show that while more people flocked to the city to find work in the first three months of this year, the unemployment rate has risen.

At the end of the previous quarter, finishing in December, 6.7% Auckland's workforce of more than 760,000 was unemployed.

Three months on, the workforce had swelled to more than 770,000 and the proportion unemployed had risen to 7.9%.

ASB Bank chief economist Nick Tuffley says the significant influx of people into Auckland from Canterbury since last year's earthquake is a likely factor, as is the loss of temporary jobs created for the Rugby World Cup during the previous quarter.

Mr Tuffley says Auckland will most likely resume its progressive employment trend over the next quarter and beyond.