Photo: RNZ/supplied
New Stats NZ's figures show the unemployment rate holding steady at 3.2 percent, in large part this is due to the closed borders and lack of flow of skilled migrants and workers.
However, this is having a serious effect on businesses struggling to fill vacancies. Accordant is the country's largest recruitment firm, working across all sectors from blue collar to IT and executive level.
Kathryn talks to Accordant Chief Executive, Jason Cherrington who says almost every sector is short staffed, and from Puke Pine General Manager Jeff Tanner.
Parts of his family run Te Puke sawmill are choking due to unfilled vacancies, and that's impacting on how much product can be processed.
