New Zealand's unemployment rate fell to a three-year low in the fourth quarter of 2013 as jobs growth beat expectations.

US labour leaders are closing in on a decades-long goal of organising a factory run by a foreign car-maker, thanks to a bridgehead opened up at Volkswagen.

NZ's biggest toilet paper supplier expects a $60m upgrade of its Bay of Plenty manufacturing facility to fight competition from growing Asian imports.

Auckland's economic prospects look the best in seven years, based on labour, housing construction and manufacturing activity.

Twelve Chinese-manufactured sleepouts, designed to be cheaper than renting for Aucklanders.

Sanitarium's much-publicised Marmite shortage failed to stop the food manufacturer's owner, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, from reporting a rise in revenue for its tax-free NZ businesses in the last financial year.

An Auckland firm says an investment in new machinery will help keep manufacturing work in New Zealand.

Bedmaker Sleepyhead Manufacturing is investing $45 million in a new Auckland facility as it looks to boost exports to Asia.

Rebounding dairy production has driven the biggest gross domestic product (GDP) increase since the December 2009 quarter.

Up to 50,000 jobs are at risk as General Motors says it will stop making Holdens in Australia by the end of 2017.

GM looks set to shut down its Holden plants in Australia from 2016, joining Ford in pulling out of the country.

Iain Hosie reckons his company is a good example of the kind of manufacturing that can thrive in New Zealand.

NZ's unemployment rate slipped to 6.2 per cent in the three months ended September 30 just below the 6.3 per cent forecast.

Nuplex Industries has begun construction of its third manufacturing facility in China, which is expected to help the speciality chemicals and resins manufacturer overcome capacity constraints.

Having the capability to build end-to-end meat processing and packaging systems is helping Milmeq win major deals on the world stage, says chief executive Mike Lightfoot.

City's unemployment at lowest level since 2011 with average pay up to $1135 a week, writes Anne Gibson.

Sir Peter Maire's Fusion Electronics has secured a lucrative deal to supply its audio systems to Australia's Jayco.

The former boss at a Canterbury clothing maker that kitted out some of our sporting heroes has today pleaded guilty to a multi-million dollar "top end" fraud.

The fraud trial of the former boss at Canterbury clothing manufacturer Lane Walker Rudkin's is due to begin in Christchurch today.

Japanese manufacturers are increasingly optimistic about the business outlook in the months ahead.