

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2605/S00106/unemployment-rate-at-53-percent-in-the-march-2026-quarter.htm

Unemployment Rate At 5.3 Percent In The March 2026 Quarter

Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 11:33 am
Press Release: Stats NZ

New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

In the March 2026 quarter:

the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent
the underutilisation rate was 12.9 percent
the employment rate was 66.7 percent
annual wage inflation was 2.0 percent
average ordinary time hourly earnings were $44.12.

“The unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in the March 2026 quarter, compared with 5.4 percent in the December 2025 quarter,” labour market spokesperson Abby Johnston said.

There were 163,000 unemployed people in the March 2026 quarter, compared with 165,000 in the December 2025 quarter, as measured by the Household Labour Force Survey.

Visit our website to read the full news story and information release and to download CSV files:

Unemployment rate at 5.3 percent in the March 2026 quarter (https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/unemployment-rate-at-5-3-percent-in-the-march-2026-quarter/)
Labour market statistics: March 2026 quarter (https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/labour-market-statistics-march-2026-quarter/)

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