New Zealand’s pool of labor is expanding at the fastest pace in almost three years as the nation’s re-opened border allows more foreign workers to enter the market. The number of residents aged 15 years and over who could work rose by 89,400 in the 12 months through June to an estimated 4,193,200, Statistics New Zealand said Wednesday in Wellington. That’s up from a revised 64,400 in March and is the biggest annual gain since September 2020. The influx is expected to take pressure off wage inflation, which soared to a record high due to a shortage of workers. The Reserve Bank in May signaled the end of its tightening ... (full story)