Unemployment rate in New Zealand

· Quarterly · Importance

IMF forecast (WEO): 2026: 5.4% 2027: 5.0% 2028: 4.6% 2029: 4.4% 2030: 4.4% 2031: 4.4%

5.6% (Q2-26) ABS · % · Quarterly · CSV

Period	%
Apr 2026	5.6%
Jan 2026	5.4%
Oct 2025	5.4%
Jul 2025	5.3%
Apr 2025	5.2%
Jan 2025	5.2%
Oct 2024	5.1%
Jul 2024	4.9%
Apr 2024	4.7%
Jan 2024	4.4%
Oct 2023	4.0%
Jul 2023	3.9%
Apr 2023	3.7%
Jan 2023	3.5%
Oct 2022	3.4%
Jul 2022	3.3%
Apr 2022	3.3%
Jan 2022	3.3%
Oct 2021	3.2%
Jul 2021	3.3%
Apr 2021	4.0%
Jan 2021	4.6%
Oct 2020	4.9%
Jul 2020	5.2%
Apr 2020	4.1%
Jan 2020	4.2%
Oct 2019	4.1%
Jul 2019	4.1%
Apr 2019	4.1%
Jan 2019	4.2%
Oct 2018	4.3%
Jul 2018	4.0%
Apr 2018	4.6%
Jan 2018	4.4%
Oct 2017	4.5%
Jul 2017	4.7%
Apr 2017	4.9%
Jan 2017	4.9%
Oct 2016	5.3%
Jul 2016	5.0%
Apr 2016	5.1%
Jan 2016	5.3%
Oct 2015	5.0%
Jul 2015	5.7%
Apr 2015	5.5%
Jan 2015	5.5%
Oct 2014	5.5%
Jul 2014	5.3%
Apr 2014	5.3%
Jan 2014	5.6%
Oct 2013	5.7%
Jul 2013	5.8%
Apr 2013	6.0%
Jan 2013	5.8%
Oct 2012	6.3%
Jul 2012	6.7%
Apr 2012	6.4%
Jan 2012	6.4%
Oct 2011	6.1%
Jul 2011	6.0%

Period	%
Apr 2026	70.7%
Jan 2026	70.4%
Oct 2025	70.5%
Jul 2025	70.3%
Apr 2025	70.5%
Jan 2025	70.7%
Oct 2024	70.8%
Jul 2024	71.1%
Apr 2024	71.6%
Jan 2024	71.5%
Oct 2023	71.8%
Jul 2023	72.0%
Apr 2023	72.4%
Jan 2023	72.1%
Oct 2022	71.8%
Jul 2022	71.7%
Apr 2022	70.9%
Jan 2022	71.0%
Oct 2021	71.0%
Jul 2021	71.1%
Apr 2021	70.6%
Jan 2021	70.4%
Oct 2020	70.2%
Jul 2020	70.1%
Apr 2020	70.0%
Jan 2020	70.7%
Oct 2019	70.4%
Jul 2019	70.6%
Apr 2019	70.6%
Jan 2019	70.6%
Oct 2018	70.9%
Jul 2018	71.1%
Apr 2018	71.2%
Jan 2018	71.1%
Oct 2017	71.2%
Jul 2017	71.2%
Apr 2017	70.4%
Jan 2017	70.9%
Oct 2016	70.7%
Jul 2016	70.1%
Apr 2016	70.0%
Jan 2016	69.0%
Oct 2015	68.3%
Jul 2015	68.4%
Apr 2015	69.1%
Jan 2015	69.4%
Oct 2014	69.3%
Jul 2014	68.6%
Apr 2014	68.3%
Jan 2014	68.6%
Oct 2013	68.3%
Jul 2013	68.1%
Apr 2013	67.5%
Jan 2013	67.2%
Oct 2012	67.5%
Jul 2012	67.9%
Apr 2012	68.0%
Jan 2012	68.1%
Oct 2011	67.8%
Jul 2011	67.9%

Period	pp
Oct 1999	-0.6
Jul 1999	-0.3
Apr 1999	-0.2
Jan 1999	-0.4
Oct 1998	0.2
Jul 1998	-0.2
Apr 1998	0.5
Jan 1998	0.4
Oct 1997	0.0
Jul 1997	0.2
Apr 1997	0.1
Jan 1997	0.5
Oct 1996	-0.3
Jul 1996	0.3
Apr 1996	-0.2
Jan 1996	0.0
Oct 1995	0.2
Jul 1995	-0.2
Apr 1995	-0.4
Jan 1995	-0.8
Oct 1994	-0.4
Jul 1994	-0.5
Apr 1994	-0.8
Jan 1994	-0.1
Oct 1993	-0.1
Jul 1993	-0.7
Apr 1993	0.1
Jan 1993	-0.5
Oct 1992	0.0
Jul 1992	0.1
Apr 1992	-0.5
Jan 1992	0.0
Oct 1991	-0.2
Jul 1991	0.7
Apr 1991	0.7
Jan 1991	0.9
Oct 1990	0.8
Jul 1990	0.4
Apr 1990	0.5
Jan 1990	-0.1
Oct 1989	-0.1
Jul 1989	-0.1
Apr 1989	0.4
Jan 1989	0.8
Oct 1988	-0.1
Jul 1988	0.9
Apr 1988	0.5
Jan 1988	0.6
Oct 1987	0.2
Jul 1987	0.0
Apr 1987	0.1
Jan 1987	-0.2
Oct 1986	0.1
Jul 1986	0.1
Apr 1986	-0.1

Period	pp
Oct 1999	-1.5
Jul 1999	-0.7
Apr 1999	-0.6
Jan 1999	0.1
Oct 1998	0.9
Jul 1998	0.7
Apr 1998	1.1
Jan 1998	0.7
Oct 1997	0.8
Jul 1997	0.5
Apr 1997	0.6
Jan 1997	0.3
Oct 1996	-0.2
Jul 1996	0.3
Apr 1996	-0.2
Jan 1996	-0.4
Oct 1995	-1.2
Jul 1995	-1.8
Apr 1995	-2.1
Jan 1995	-2.5
Oct 1994	-1.8
Jul 1994	-1.5
Apr 1994	-1.7
Jan 1994	-0.8
Oct 1993	-1.2
Jul 1993	-1.1
Apr 1993	-0.3
Jan 1993	-0.9
Oct 1992	-0.4
Jul 1992	-0.6
Apr 1992	0.0
Jan 1992	1.2
Oct 1991	2.1
Jul 1991	3.1
Apr 1991	2.8
Jan 1991	2.6
Oct 1990	1.6
Jul 1990	0.7
Apr 1990	0.2
Jan 1990	0.1
Oct 1989	1.0
Jul 1989	1.0
Apr 1989	2.0
Jan 1989	2.1
Oct 1988	1.9
Jul 1988	2.2
Apr 1988	1.3
Jan 1988	0.9
Oct 1987	0.1
Jul 1987	0.0
Apr 1987	0.1
Jan 1987	-0.1

Period	pp
Oct 1999	0.2
Jul 1999	-0.1
Apr 1999	0.0
Jan 1999	0.3
Oct 1998	-0.1
Jul 1998	-0.3
Apr 1998	-0.1
Jan 1998	0.1
Oct 1997	-0.3
Jul 1997	-0.1
Apr 1997	0.2
Jan 1997	0.1
Oct 1996	-0.8
Jul 1996	0.5
Apr 1996	0.3
Jan 1996	0.1
Oct 1995	0.4
Jul 1995	0.3
Apr 1995	0.1
Jan 1995	-0.1
Oct 1994	0.4
Jul 1994	0.2
Apr 1994	-0.1
Jan 1994	0.4
Oct 1993	0.3
Jul 1993	0.1
Apr 1993	0.2
Jan 1993	-0.2
Oct 1992	0.1
Jul 1992	-0.3
Apr 1992	-0.2
Jan 1992	0.2
Oct 1991	-0.5
Jul 1991	-0.1
Apr 1991	0.0
Jan 1991	0.1
Oct 1990	0.0
Jul 1990	-0.2
Apr 1990	0.6
Jan 1990	0.0
Oct 1989	0.1
Jul 1989	-0.1
Apr 1989	-0.5
Jan 1989	-0.4
Oct 1988	-0.2
Jul 1988	-0.4
Apr 1988	-0.4
Jan 1988	-0.7
Oct 1987	-0.2
Jul 1987	-0.1
Apr 1987	-0.2
Jan 1987	0.3
Oct 1986	-0.4
Jul 1986	-0.1
Apr 1986	-0.3

Period	pp
Oct 1999	0.4
Jul 1999	0.1
Apr 1999	-0.1
Jan 1999	-0.2
Oct 1998	-0.4
Jul 1998	-0.6
Apr 1998	-0.4
Jan 1998	-0.1
Oct 1997	-0.1
Jul 1997	-0.6
Apr 1997	0.0
Jan 1997	0.1
Oct 1996	0.1
Jul 1996	1.3
Apr 1996	1.1
Jan 1996	0.9
Oct 1995	0.7
Jul 1995	0.7
Apr 1995	0.6
Jan 1995	0.4
Oct 1994	0.9
Jul 1994	0.8
Apr 1994	0.7
Jan 1994	1.0
Oct 1993	0.4
Jul 1993	0.2
Apr 1993	-0.2
Jan 1993	-0.6
Oct 1992	-0.2
Jul 1992	-0.8
Apr 1992	-0.6
Jan 1992	-0.4
Oct 1991	-0.5
Jul 1991	0.0
Apr 1991	-0.1
Jan 1991	0.5
Oct 1990	0.4
Jul 1990	0.5
Apr 1990	0.6
Jan 1990	-0.5
Oct 1989	-0.9
Jul 1989	-1.2
Apr 1989	-1.5
Jan 1989	-1.4
Oct 1988	-1.7
Jul 1988	-1.7
Apr 1988	-1.4
Jan 1988	-1.2
Oct 1987	-0.2
Jul 1987	-0.4
Apr 1987	-0.4
Jan 1987	-0.5

About this indicator

Source

OECD

Frequency

Quarterly

Release

About one month after the reference period (monthly or quarterly depending on the country).

What it is

New Zealand's Unemployment Rate is the share of jobless people in the labour force, published quarterly by Stats NZ from the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS). It is the country's main labour market indicator.

How it's calculated

Stats NZ surveys a large sample of households each quarter under ILO criteria: an unemployed person is one who is jobless, available for work and actively seeking a job. The rate is calculated as the unemployed divided by the labour force and reported seasonally adjusted.

Market implications

Employment is a key variable for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ): a tight labour market puts pressure on wages and inflation and points to higher rates, while rising unemployment opens the door to cuts. The release moves the New Zealand dollar.

Limitations

Being quarterly, it is released with a lag and less frequently than in other countries; it is subject to sampling error and revisions, and it does not capture underemployment or discouraged workers who stop looking for a job.