Big challenges remain for the labour market

Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate hit 4.8 percent in the September quarter - the highest recorded since December 2020.

It's up 0.2 percent from June.

But Infometrics Economist, Brad Olsen says many people weren't defined as unemployed, because they aren't looking for work or can't find any.

He says only five thousand of the 14-thousand not in work were counted as unemployed - and the rest considered in the Not in Labourforce Group.