Small business confidence soars

ANZ managing director of retail and business banking Fred Ohlsson said construction and agriculture were caught in the tailwind of the Canterbury rebuild and increasing commodity prices.

However, optimism was at, or near, historic highs across all major sectors, according to the survey of 250 micro and intermediate firms in New Zealand.

The rising confidence was paving the way for a broad-based uplift in business activity, employment and economic growth, he said.