Latest from Unemployment

The latest data show 165,000 people now out of work but more jobs are being created

NZ Herald Headlines | Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Will unemployment rates change? Fears regarding changes to licensing system and major data breach at Mange My Health. Video / NZH

ANALYSIS: Liam Dann takes a deeper dive into the week's economic news.

Labour market data on Wednesday will reveal the latest unemployment rate and wage growth.

PLUS: Tracking a big cat.

The economy has the ingredients for a recovery but momentum is fragile.

Donald Trump is probing Jerome Powell as he moves to install a more dovish Fed chair.

Police say Canterbury is so full they are not taking any new recruits.

Westpac's confidence index rose 3.9 points to 93.8 in the December quarter.

Morning Headlines | Water Safety NZ alarmed by deaths and Government Agency concerned over Māori unemployment | Tuesday, January 13, 2026

The economy is growing again, but can it last, and what should we watch out for?

OPINION: Squeezed by two kinds of bad economy at once – economists call it stagflation.

Liquidations and unemployment are both sitting at decade-high levels.

The Finance Minister launched a searing attack.

It's not poor attitudes preventing youth from getting jobs, an advocate says.

Fernando Nunez was a Kamila TV reporter known for probing city corruption.

Markets rallied as the pound rose and government bond yields dipped.

It's a 'low-hire, low-fire labour market' as firms are scared to let staff go, RBNZ says.

Retail NZ warns two-thirds of profits hinge on this quarter's sales.

Auckland's job market is improving, according to the Seek Employment report.

OPINION: It's struggling to gain traction in polls – its MPs are traumatised by the past.

Nearly half of respondents rated government performance between zero and three.

Stats NZ says 72,700 New Zealanders left in the past year, mostly for Australia.

Losing a job can shake your confidence, but it doesn’t define your worth.

Hours worked rose 0.9% last quarter, the first lift since December 2023.

ANALYSIS: Economists say the latest labour market data won't worry the Reserve Bank.

Labour market stats show 160,000 are now out of work. Video / Michael Craig

The rate is the highest since December 2016.

The Household Labour Force Survey will show a new jobless rate as well as wage growth.