Labour market statistics provide a picture of the New Zealand labour market, including unemployment and employment rates, demand for labour, and changes in wages and salaries. Key facts Labour market at a glance Unemployment rate fell to 4.0 percent. Underutilisation rate rose to 12.0 percent. Employment rate fell to 66.9 percent. Filled jobs fell 0.5 percent. Average weekly earnings (including overtime) fell 2.8 percent Wage rates increased 2.1 percent annually. {table} Summary In the June 2020 quarter, unemployment and employment both fell, as more people were not in the labour force. Underutilisation rose this ... (full story)

The official unemployment rate fell to 4 per cent in the June quarter, despite the Covid-19 lockdowns, Stats NZ has reported in a shock release. The unemployment rate fell from 4.2 per cent during the March quarter, which ended just after New Zealand entered level 4 lockdown. Though a positive surprise, there are clear indications job losses have started to mount. The official unemployment rate measures the average unemployment rate during each quarter, rather than the unemployment rate at the end of the quarter. Stats NZ estimated unemployment had risen to 6.2 per cent during the final week of June, but it said that ... (full story)