Based on SINPF data as a proxy employment 1/6  BIS central bankers' speeches  indicator show an increase of 7 percent to more than 58,000 active contributors. Staffing levels in the public sector rose by 2% to over 17,000 employees. There was also a pickup in both the locally based work force and seasonal workers in Australia and New Zealand.
Consumer price pressures rose in 2018. Headline inflation reached 4.2 percent in December against 1.8 percent at the end of 2017. This rate was within the Bank’s forecasted range and was driven by stronger supply-side domestic inflation, along with the rise in imported prices. Categories responsible for the spike in consumer prices during the year were education, transportation, food, and alcohol and tobacco.