New Zealand Unemployment Climbs to 5.6% in June Quarter, Beating 5.4%-5.5% Forecasts
Updated
Updated · New Zealand Herald · Aug 4
New Zealand Unemployment Climbs to 5.6% in June Quarter, Beating 5.4%-5.5% Forecasts
3 articles · Updated · New Zealand Herald · Aug 4
Summary
Stats NZ reported New Zealand’s unemployment rate at 5.6% in the June 2026 quarter, up from 5.4% in March and above economists’ 5.4%-5.5% forecasts.
The miss reinforces signs of a softening labor market, with the employment rate unchanged at 66.7% and underutilisation previously reported at 13.8%.
Wage data offered only limited offset: average weekly earnings for full-time equivalent employees rose to NZ$1,730 from NZ$1,679, while salary and wage rates increased 2.0% annually.
The figures add to evidence of uneven strain across workers, with Pacific unemployment at 11.6% and underutilisation at 22.1% in the same quarter.