Latest Maori unemployment data: is this good news?

December quarter Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) is out. Headlines will read a drop in unemployment, lead funnily enough, by Maori...

Unemployment rate by ethnicity, Dec Q, 2012

But this reduction comes from a decline in those looking for work, as shown by the data for employment rates...

Employment rate by ethnicity, Dec Q 2012

So, where are people going? Or what are they doing?

Difficult to see how NZ economy can grow from these figures.