3. Question No. 3—FinanceANNA LORCK (Labour—Tukituki) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. ANNA LORCK (Labour—Tukituki) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): As I've said previously in the House 2023 is a difficult year for many New Zealanders and especially so in the economic sense. However our labour market does remain resilient with New Zealanders in work in record numbers and wages growing to help deal with the challenges ahead. This morning Stats New Zealand reported that employment rose for the fifth month in a row with filled jobs rising by 5461 or 0.2 percent in May taking the total number of jobs to 2.37 million. The main contribution came from services industries and from goods-producing industries. By region the number of filled jobs in Auckland rose 4.6 percent on a year earlier Canterbury by 3.8 percent Waikato by 3.4 percent Wellington by 2.7 percent and Otago by 5.2 percent. Anna Lorck: What reports has he seen on confidence in the labour market and its impact on the economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Confidence in the jobs market remains positive with the Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index at 105.6. A number above 100 represents optimism while below represents pessimism. Confidence across regions was mixed with gains in Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay due to a lift in reported and expected earnings. All regions saw a fall in perceptions about current jobs opportunities which reflects some of the issues that New Zealanders are dealing with at the moment. Anna Lorck: What reports has he seen on exports and its impact on the economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It is a challenging global environment for New Zealand's exporters and that will continue for the rest of the year. However last week Stats New Zealand reported exports rose 2.8 percent to $7 billion in May led by dairy products fruit and seafood. On an annual basis exports rose 8.2 percent to $72.8 billion. Looking at exports by destination annual exports to China rose 2.3 percent to Australia by 7.5 percent by 8.6 percent to the EU and 12 percent to the US. The Prime Minister is currently leading a 29-strong business delegation to China to boost export growth with a key trading partner in sectors ranging from dairy meat and wood to emerging areas like gaming health and wellness as well as tourism and education. We are continuing to strengthen and diversify our economic ties with the rest of the world including through our new free-trade agreements with the UK and the EU. Anna Lorck: What other reports has he seen on economic activity in the economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Stats New Zealand reported that the New Zealand Activity Index which is a broad and more up-to-date measure of activity in the economy rose 0.7 percent in May compared with the same period a year ago. Activity indicators rose for heavy traffic movements activity outlook and grid demand along with a reduction in jobseeker numbers. Activity indicators did however ease for electronic card transactions light traffic movements manufacturing and job advertisements in line with the challenges facing the New Zealand economy. We know that many New Zealanders are doing it tough. However as a country we are well-placed to face the challenges ahead with unemployment near record lows and public debt levels well below those of countries we compare ourselves with. As a Government we are continuing to strike a balance to support New Zealanders in the here and now while investing in strong public services and a resilient infrastructure network to build for a better tomorrow.