New Zealand businesses remain positive about hiring staff but are seeking a higher percentage of contract workers, recruitment company Hudson says.  Hiring intentions increased for the fifth quarter in a row, but is up only marginally on figures from the first half of this year.

The overall results of the Hudson Report show a net 20.3 per cent of businesses indicating an intention to increase their permanent staff numbers during the current quarter, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous three months.

The Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion for June was generally softer compared to March, but it remains consistent with a normal pace of recovery.

The Government's fiscal position for the 11 months to the end of May was better than expected, with tax revenues slightly ahead of forecast and spending slightly below.

In this week’s Overview we look at data showing our economy is growing, and data showing some areas struggling. We also look at the NZIER’s survey results and note even with the quarter’s declines the readings still suggest near 3% economic growth.