New Zealand's unemployment rate unexpectedly rose in the first quarter after the labour force swelled to a three-year high as more people started looking for work in a tight jobs market.

Compared to the Australian superannuation system, even the original KiwiSaver tax incentives looked anaemic, now the contrast is startling.

New Zealand wage inflation slowed in the first three months of the year.

Westerners shouldn't rely on Asian consumers to revive the international economy, visiting author Chandran Nair tells Chris Barton.