WELLINGTON, 4th February, 2026 (WAM) -- New Zealand’s unemployment rate rose to its highest level in more than a decade, as more people sought work than the number of jobs created, while wage growth continued to slow.
Figures from Stats NZ showed the unemployment rate increasing to 5.4 percent in the three months ending December 2025, up from 5.3 percent in the previous quarter. This marked the highest level since March 2015.
The number of unemployed people rose by 4,000 over the quarter to 165,000, while both employment and labour force participation also increased, Stats NZ said.