Talk Money: May 5, 2016

Tony Field (Paul Henry)
Tony Field (Paul Henry)

Employment has hit a new high, but unemployment is rising too.

Statistics New Zealand says almost 2.4 million people were in paid employment in the first three months of the year.

But the unemployment rate rose as well, to 5.7 percent. That means 144,000 people were looking for work.

The figures might seem contradictory but reflect the rise in the working age population. More people are moving to New Zealand. We also have more people graduating and being available to work.

Almost half of the new jobs this year have been in Auckland. That puts more pressure on the housing market.