Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Economists had expected the unemployment rate would fall in the September quarter, but the figure of 3.4 percent exceeded all expectations. The result is also well below the Budget 2021 update, which forecast unemployment to be at 5.3 percent in the September 2021 quarter. Westpac's economists said, "The September quarter labour force surveys marked another stunningly strong data point for the New Zealand economy." ANZ said the data reinforced that the labour market has been incredibly resilient in the face of higher alert levels, and Kiwibank's economists said, "Not a single headline metric hit a bum note." Employment surged, unemployment fell, underemployment dropped, participation rose, and the lion's share of the gains came from female employees. They said the demand for labour was expected to remain strong. This is a good result and a testament to the hard work of businesses and workers right across New Zealand.