New Zealand to raise minimum wage to $23.50 per hour in April

The minimum wage in New Zealand will increase from $23.15 to $23.50 per hour starting April 1. This change will affect approximately 142,000 workers. The increase of 1.5% is lower than the 2.2% inflation rate reported for the September quarter. The announcement was made by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden just before Christmas.