Activity in the manufacturing sector has eased, with employment falling for a second consecutive month.
The BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index fell by a seasonally adjusted 1.2 points in March to 54.7.
That marks the lowest level of expansion since October. A reading over 50 indicates expansion.
All sub-indexes fell, with employment falling further into contraction level at 48.6.
The executive director of Business New Zealand, Catherine Beard, says manufacturers are reporting a slowdown in domestic and offshore orders.
"While a number of negative comments mentioned a slowdown in both domestic and offshore orders, it is still important to remember that two-thirds of comments from manufacturers remain positive, not to mention that the sector is still in expansion mode," she said.