New Zealand has the lowest unemployment rate on record which has created a tight labour market and a strong need for skilled workers.
The record low level of unemployment of 3.5 per cent is the lowest rate since the Household Labour Force Survey began 20 years ago.
The numbers of people unemployed decreased 2.1 per cent, from 81,000 in the June quarter to 79,000 over the September 2007 quarter.
New Zealand now also has the second highest level of employment since the survey began, with 2,150,000 New Zealanders employed in the September 2007 quarter.
Employment decreased slightly from last quarter's highest recorded level, down 7,000 or 0.3 percent.
Social Development and Employment Minister Ruth Dyson said unemployment in New Zealand has been below four per cent for more than three years.
"We have the fifth lowest unemployment rate in the OECD and we are the only country in the OECD to achieve such a low unemployment rate over such an extensive period," said Ruth Dyson.
A survey by recruitment and employment consultants Manpower reported that 31 per cent of New Zealand employers interviewed expected to hire more people during the fourth quarter of 2007.
Employers in New Zealand once again reported active hiring activity with a net employment outlook of +26 per cent. Employers in Auckland reported the strongest outlook.
Employers had positive hiring intentions in all seven industries - wholesale and retail trade, transportation and utilities, services, public admin/education, mining/construction, manufacturing, finance, insurance and real estate. The most positive was the services industry sector at a robust +34 per cent.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforces during the next quarter. The survey has been running for more than 40 years.