In brief
In the September 2026 quarter, New Zealand’s unemployment rate climbed to 5.7 % from 5.6 % in the previous quarter, while the employment count remained largely unchanged. Stats NZ reported that the broader under‑employment measure stayed flat at 13.8 %. The agency noted a shift toward casual, fixed‑term and part‑time work, and a modest rise in wage inflation.
Wellington, Nov. 4 – Official statistics released by Stats NZ indicate that New Zealand’s unemployment rate increased to 5.7 % during the September 2026 quarter, up one‑point‑hundredth from 5.6 % in the June 2026 period, according to Xinhua reporting the data on Wednesday.
For the quarter ending in September, Stats NZ counted 174,000 people as unemployed, a slight rise from the 171,000 recorded in the prior quarter. The broader under‑employment rate, which measures the total number of people working less or seeking work, remained unchanged at 13.8 %, matching the figure for the June quarter.
Employment numbers overall were essentially steady, with Stats NZ reporting 2.891 million people employed in the September quarter compared with 2.896 million in June. The employment rate slipped marginally from 66.7 % to 66.4 %, reflecting the modest increase in unemployment and the steady number of workers.
Abby Johnston, a spokesperson for Stats NZ, said that the data show a continued trend toward casual and fixed‑term work over the past year, and a noticeable shift toward part‑time employment within the quarter. She noted that the number of casual employees rose 19.5 % to 116,900 over the year, while fixed‑term employees grew 18.9 % to 50,900.
The agency highlighted that the quarter also saw a modest increase in part‑time worker counts. Over the period, 15,000 more people worked part‑time than in the previous quarter, while the full‑time workforce fell by 17,000.
Wage inflation for the quarter was reported at 2.1 %, with average ordinary‑time hourly earnings up 2.9 % from the year‑ago figure, rising to 44.86 NZ dollars per hour, or roughly 25.07 U.S. dollars.
Statistical notes in the release underscored that the employment markets’ characterization as “mostly unchanged” refers to the breadth of stable employment counts, even as the composition of those jobs shifts toward less secure arrangements.
Comparatively, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently reported gains in full‑time employment, while some Asian markets are seeing higher under‑employment rates. Yet this piece relies solely on the New Zealand data supplied by Stats NZ and relayed by Xinhua.
There is a broader context of global labour market changes, but within this specific quarter, New Zealand’s unemployment rate remained in the mid‑range, with only a slight increase and a stable employment base.
The release from Stats NZ suggests that while the country’s labour market still supports a large number of employed persons, the trend toward contract and part‑time work could be a factor influencing future unemployment statistics.