New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate reached 5.4% in the December 2025 quarter, the highest since September 2015, according to Stats NZ. The rate increased from 5.3% in the previous quarter. Key labor market indicators included an underutilisation rate of 13.0%, employment rate of 66.7%, and annual wage inflation of 2.0%. There were 165,000 unemployed people, up 5,000 from the prior quarter. Labour force participation rose to 70.5%, driven by a 19,000 increase in participants. Women accounted for 20,000 additional labor force participants, with 16,000 more employed and 4,000 more unemployed. Manager and professional occupations made up half of the employed population, with over 700,000 people in each group.
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