By Lucy Craymer
WELLINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - New Zealand's jobless rate
was unchanged at 3.4% in the first quarter as employment
increased 0.8%, according to data released by Statistics New
Zealand on Wednesday.
The participation rate rose to a record high of 72% in the
first quarter, slightly above forecasts of 71.7%.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast an unemployment
rate of 3.5% and employment growth of 0.2%.
Statistics New Zealand data showed first-quarter seasonally
adjusted private-sector wages rose at 4.5% on the previous year.
Wages were up at 0.9% on the prior quarter.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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