Brace for turn-around in the labour market

Stats NZ is due to announce the latest official unemployment rate later this morning.

Some economists expect it to remain unchanged, while some expect it to drop to a new record low.

But ANZ Economist Finn Robinson says it won't necessarily reflect what will happen over the coming year.

He says there will likely be a softening of the labour market this year, with today's data reflecting the market's strength in the last year.