Record migration is being touted as a contributing factor to the country's growing unemployment rate.
Finance Minister Bill English yesterday predicted joblessness will increase about 0.5 percent to 6.5 percent next year.
Business New Zealand economist John Pask says a recent influx of new migrants is having an impact.
"Net inward migration is around about 62,000 in the year to the end of October. That's basically two Westpac Stadiums. That's increasing pressures on the labour market.
"It is going to have an dampening effect on reducing unemployment.t when you look at the underlying figures aren't quite as bad as what looks to be on the surface not a great result," he says.
Labour's finance spokesman, Grant Robertson, is criticising National for delivering a "jobless recovery".
RadioLIVE
