Latest fromEconomy

Chinese bid big at home auctions
Rich Chinese are removing their money and assets from their own country and outbidding Aucklanders on houses, a worried real estate agent says.

Govt sets up unit to lift Maori economic performance
A Maori unit within the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment will be set up to drive a government plan to lift Maori economic performance.

Mismatch shuts generation out of jobs
As students look to next year, the Herald begins a week-long investigation into why so many are leaving school without the skills they need.

Actually - there's cause for optimism
It hasn't been a good six months for the country economically, but the signs of renewal are there, says business editor Liam Dann.

Confidence in housing crumbles
Survey shows Aucklanders don't think it's a good time to buy a home, but mood in regions remains buoyant.

Hobsonville housing quota reinstated
The Government has reinstated plans to allocate a percentage of the houses at Hobsonville Point in Auckland as affordable homes priced under $485,000.

Gaining the competitive edge
Paying for professional development can feel like pumping money into a black hole. The resulting benefits to a business, however, can be huge.

West Cost mine workers reject new shifts
Solid Energy's Stockton opencast mine machinery operators have rejected a proposed shift change, despite management warning the mine's future is in jeopardy.

Bryan Gould: Plight of jobless makes us all poorer
In the wake of the grim news about factory closures and lay-offs over recent months, the unemployment figures were only to be expected, writes Bryan Gould.

Futurist predicts jobs loss
DaVinci Institute founder says action needed as 2 billion roles will go in digitised world.

Survey: Mixed Hobbit views
Kiwi fans of The Hobbit are critical of the Government's and even director Sir Peter Jackson's role in the film trilogy's industrial relations dispute, a survey shows.

Brian Fallow: Loan-to-value no magic bullet
Reserve Bank eyes tools to help prevent booms and busts that devastate household and bank balance sheets.

Food prices fall in October
Seasonal falls in vegetable prices took the food price index down 0.6pc last month.

Online job ads down in October - Seek
New online job ad listings were down last month, according to a major New Zealand employment website.

Fran O'Sullivan: Time for Key to call an economic summit
Optimism and shock over dire jobs news no excuse for Govt inaction.

NZ median house prices hit new high
The median house price in New Zealand rose to a record $380,000 last month as sales jumped by almost a third compared to October 2011, according to new figures.