Is the manufacturing crisis manufactured?

Labour, Greens, NZ First and Mana have their faux inquiry into the “manufacturing crisis”. It seems someone may have forgotten to tell the manufacturers.

Rob Hosking reports at NBR:

Manufacturing improvement dominates job market data

And in the story:

On an annual basis, average ordinary time hourly earnings rose 2.6% for the year, with the largest increase in manufacturing, up 2.9%, while retail trade rose 2.7%.

And:

On a weekly basis, the income improvement is even more pronounced. Average ordinary time weekly earnings rose 2.9% for the year, or about $29 a week.

Manufacturing ordinary time weekly earnings rose 4.1% for the year.

How inconvenient for the crisis.