Source: Statistics New Zealand
Unemployment rate at 5.4 percent in the December 2025 quarter – news story
4 February 2026
New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in the December 2025 quarter, compared with 5.3 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
In the December 2025 quarter:
- the unemployment rate was 5.4 percent
- the underutilisation rate was 13.0 percent
- the employment rate was 66.7 percent
- annual wage inflation was 2.0 percent
- average ordinary time hourly earnings were $43.99.
“The unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in the December 2025 quarter, the highest since the September 2015 quarter, when it was 5.7 percent,” macroeconomic spokesperson Jason Attewell said.
