NEW ZEALAND IMMIGRATION NEWS

NZ Employment Growth Continues - Skilled Workers Needed

Tuesday, 5 August 2008

Figures released by Statistics New Zealand yesterday shows that employment has increased by 2.5 percent for year ended June 2008.

The increase has been driven by a growth in full-time employment, particularly in the manufacturing; health and community services; transport; storage, and communication industries.

Earnings have also increased in over the last year. The Labour Cost Index (LCI) showed an increase of 3.5 percent for all salary and wage rates. This is the largest annual increase since the LCI series began in June 1992.

As the unemployment rate remains low at 3.6% there continues to be a shortage of highly skilled people in a range of industries. NZ companies have been forced to pay more to keep and attract staff.

The New Zealand immigration programme aims to relieve skill shortages. Approximately 27,000 – 30,000 places for residence are available in 2008/09 under the Skilled and Business migration streams.

If you are interested in Visas to New Zealand or would like more information on Skilled Migration, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you.