What is the New Zealand unemployment rate?

Stats NZ says the seasonally adjusted New Zealand unemployment rate was 5.3% in the March 2026 quarter.

How many people are unemployed in New Zealand?

NZCTU says 163,000 people are unemployed in New Zealand, which is 29,000 more than two years ago.

What does underutilised mean in unemployment data?

Underutilised workers include people who are unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise want more work but cannot get it. NZCTU says 406,000 people are underutilised.

Who is being hit hardest by unemployment in New Zealand?

NZCTU says young people, Māori and Pacific Peoples are being hit hardest, with youth unemployment at 17.3%, Māori unemployment at 11.5%, and Pacific unemployment at 11.9%.

NZ Unemployment Pain Hits Workers Hard

ByThe Daily Blog 8 May 202611 May 2026

The New Zealand unemployment rate may have dipped slightly on paper, but the human reality is still ugly: 163,000 people out of work, 406,000 underutilised, young people locked out, and wages failing to keep up with the cost of living. This is not a recovery. This is a labour market where working people are being told to carry the pain.

Data released today by Stats NZ on unemployment shows that all is not well in the labour market says Sandra Grey, President of the Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi.

“163,000 people are unemployed, 29,000 more than two years ago. 406,000 people are underutilised – meaning that they want more work but can’t get it. That’s up 51,000 in two years.

– Advertisement –

“New Zealand now has a higher unemployment rate than the UK, the USA, or Australia.”

The New Zealand unemployment rate is only part of the pain

Grey says, “Getting a pay rise that meets the cost of living is proving a real problem for working people. According to the Labour Cost Index, 44% of Kiwi workers got no pay rise at all, and 73% of workers got a pay rise less than inflation. That means the majority of workers are falling further behind.”

Young people are being hit hardest in this labour market. “17.3% of 15–24-year-olds are unemployed. The seasonally adjusted NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate was at its highest level since December 2009.”

The Māori unemployment rate (11.5%) is more than twice the national rate, and its higher again for Pacific Peoples (11.9%).

Young, Māori and Pacific workers are paying first

“And it’s likely to get worse from here. These figures pre-date the impact of the Iran/US conflict, and most forecasters expect higher unemployment, slower wage growth, and a weakening economy in the months ahead,” says Grey.

“This month’s Budget is the Government’s opportunity to change direction – to invest in New Zealand and the people who keep it running, not impose further cuts. Today’s figures are a warning. Without a change of course, things will get worse and Kiwis will rightly take to the ballot box to vote for a country that works for working people.”