Employment in New Zealand

· Annual · Importance

1.2% (Q2-26) YOY · % · Quarterly · CSV

Period	%
Apr 2026	1.2%
Jan 2026	0.5%
Oct 2025	0.2%
Jul 2025	-0.7%
Apr 2025	-1.3%
Jan 2025	-0.9%
Oct 2024	-1.3%
Jul 2024	-0.6%
Apr 2024	0.1%
Jan 2024	1.0%
Oct 2023	2.7%
Jul 2023	2.8%
Apr 2023	4.3%
Jan 2023	2.9%
Oct 2022	1.5%
Jul 2022	1.0%
Apr 2022	1.1%
Jan 2022	2.3%
Oct 2021	3.1%
Jul 2021	3.7%
Apr 2021	1.2%
Jan 2021	0.0%
Oct 2020	0.4%
Jul 2020	0.2%
Apr 2020	1.4%
Jan 2020	2.4%
Oct 2019	1.0%
Jul 2019	0.8%
Apr 2019	1.2%
Jan 2019	1.3%
Oct 2018	2.1%
Jul 2018	2.7%
Apr 2018	3.7%
Jan 2018	3.0%
Oct 2017	3.6%
Jul 2017	4.1%
Apr 2017	3.2%
Jan 2017	5.9%
Oct 2016	6.0%
Jul 2016	6.2%
Apr 2016	4.8%
Jan 2016	2.3%
Oct 2015	1.7%
Jul 2015	1.8%
Apr 2015	3.3%
Jan 2015	3.6%
Oct 2014	3.9%
Jul 2014	3.4%
Apr 2014	3.9%
Jan 2014	4.0%
Oct 2013	3.1%
Jul 2013	2.5%
Apr 2013	0.5%
Jan 2013	0.1%
Oct 2012	0.0%
Jul 2012	-0.2%
Apr 2012	0.4%
Jan 2012	0.6%
Oct 2011	1.4%
Jul 2011	1.0%

Period	%
Apr 2026	0.5%
Jan 2026	0.2%
Oct 2025	0.5%
Jul 2025	0.0%
Apr 2025	-0.2%
Jan 2025	-0.1%
Oct 2024	-0.4%
Jul 2024	-0.6%
Apr 2024	0.1%
Jan 2024	-0.4%
Oct 2023	0.3%
Jul 2023	0.1%
Apr 2023	1.0%
Jan 2023	1.3%
Oct 2022	0.5%
Jul 2022	1.5%
Apr 2022	-0.3%
Jan 2022	-0.1%
Oct 2021	0.0%
Jul 2021	1.6%
Apr 2021	0.9%
Jan 2021	0.7%
Oct 2020	0.5%
Jul 2020	-0.9%
Apr 2020	-0.4%
Jan 2020	1.1%
Oct 2019	0.3%
Jul 2019	0.4%
Apr 2019	0.6%
Jan 2019	-0.3%
Oct 2018	0.1%
Jul 2018	0.8%
Apr 2018	0.7%
Jan 2018	0.5%
Oct 2017	0.6%
Jul 2017	1.9%
Apr 2017	-0.1%
Jan 2017	1.2%
Oct 2016	1.1%
Jul 2016	1.0%
Apr 2016	2.6%
Jan 2016	1.3%
Oct 2015	1.3%
Jul 2015	-0.4%
Apr 2015	0.1%
Jan 2015	0.8%
Oct 2014	1.3%
Jul 2014	1.1%
Apr 2014	0.4%
Jan 2014	1.0%
Oct 2013	0.9%
Jul 2013	1.5%
Apr 2013	0.5%
Jan 2013	0.2%
Oct 2012	0.2%
Jul 2012	-0.4%
Apr 2012	0.1%
Jan 2012	0.1%
Oct 2011	0.0%
Jul 2011	0.1%

About this indicator

Source

OECD

Frequency

Annual

Release

Published annually, covering the full year and subject to revision.

What it is

It measures employment in New Zealand: the number of people in work in the economy and its change from the previous quarter. It is published by Stats NZ within the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) and is a direct gauge of labour-market strength.

How it's calculated

It comes from the quarterly labour force survey (HLFS), which counts people in work through interviews with a sample of households. It is usually reported as the level of employment and as a quarter-on-quarter change (net job creation or losses), seasonally adjusted.

Market implications

Employment is the main driver of household income and consumption, so its path anticipates the economy's direction and weighs on RBNZ decisions, which track sustainable maximum employment alongside inflation. A strong reading tends to support the New Zealand dollar.

Limitations

The data are subject to revisions and seasonal effects, and being drawn from a quarterly survey they arrive less frequently and with greater sampling error than in other countries; it is best to read the adjusted series and the trend rather than a single print.