Unemployment rate in New Zealand
By ethnic group, year ended June 2010–2026, % of the labour force
| Year ended June | Ethnic group | % of the labour force |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | European | 4.8% |
| 2010 | Māori | 13.7% |
| 2010 | Pacific Peoples | 13.3% |
| 2010 | Asian | 8.5% |
| 2011 | European | 4.8% |
| 2011 | Māori | 13.1% |
| 2011 | Pacific Peoples | 12.7% |
| 2011 | Asian | 7.2% |
| 2012 | European | 4.7% |
| 2012 | Māori | 13.0% |
| 2012 | Pacific Peoples | 14.0% |
| 2012 | Asian | 7.9% |
| 2013 | European | 4.9% |
| 2013 | Māori | 13.8% |
| 2013 | Pacific Peoples | 14.5% |
| 2013 | Asian | 7.0% |
| 2014 | European | 4.3% |
| 2014 | Māori | 12.0% |
| 2014 | Pacific Peoples | 13.0% |
| 2014 | Asian | 5.9% |
| 2015 | European | 4.1% |
| 2015 | Māori | 12.1% |
| 2015 | Pacific Peoples | 11.1% |
| 2015 | Asian | 6.0% |
| 2016 | European | 4.0% |
| 2016 | Māori | 11.4% |
| 2016 | Pacific Peoples | 10.0% |
| 2016 | Asian | 6.1% |
| 2017 | European | 3.8% |
| 2017 | Māori | 11.0% |
| 2017 | Pacific Peoples | 10.2% |
| 2017 | Asian | 5.5% |
| 2018 | European | 3.6% |
| 2018 | Māori | 9.5% |
| 2018 | Pacific Peoples | 8.5% |
| 2018 | Asian | 4.4% |
| 2019 | European | 3.2% |
| 2019 | Māori | 8.2% |
| 2019 | Pacific Peoples | 8.1% |
| 2019 | Asian | 4.3% |
| 2020 | European | 3.3% |
| 2020 | Māori | 7.9% |
| 2020 | Pacific Peoples | 7.2% |
| 2020 | Asian | 4.3% |
| 2021 | European | 3.8% |
| 2021 | Māori | 8.6% |
| 2021 | Pacific Peoples | 9.0% |
| 2021 | Asian | 4.8% |
| 2022 | European | 2.8% |
| 2022 | Māori | 6.4% |
| 2022 | Pacific Peoples | 5.8% |
| 2022 | Asian | 2.7% |
| 2023 | European | 2.8% |
| 2023 | Māori | 7.2% |
| 2023 | Pacific Peoples | 6.2% |
| 2023 | Asian | 3.0% |
| 2024 | European | 3.6% |
| 2024 | Māori | 8.7% |
| 2024 | Pacific Peoples | 8.0% |
| 2024 | Asian | 3.7% |
| 2025 | European | 3.9% |
| 2025 | Māori | 9.9% |
| 2025 | Pacific Peoples | 10.9% |
| 2025 | Asian | 5.2% |
| 2026 | European | 4.2% |
| 2026 | Māori | 11.0% |
| 2026 | Pacific Peoples | 12.0% |
| 2026 | Asian | 4.9% |
Definitions
Labour force: members of the working-age population, who during the survey reference week, were classified as 'employed' or 'unemployed’.
Working-age population: the usually resident, non-institutionalised, civilian population of New Zealand aged 15 years and over. This is the target population for this survey.
Employed: people in the working-age population who, during the reference week, did one of the following:
- worked for one hour or more for pay or profit in the context of an employee/employer relationship or self-employment
- worked without pay for one hour or more in work which contributed directly to the operation of a farm, business, or professional practice owned or operated by a relative
- had a job but were not at work due to: own illness or injury, personal or family responsibilities, bad weather or mechanical breakdown, direct involvement in an industrial dispute, or leave or holiday.
Employment rate: the number of employed people expressed as a percentage of the working-age population. The employment rate is closely linked to the working-age population definition.
Labour force: members of the working-age population, who during the survey reference week, were classified as 'employed' or 'unemployed’.
Labour force participation rate: the total labour force expressed as a percentage of the working-age population. Labour force participation is closely linked to how the working-age population is defined.
Not in the labour force: any person in the working-age population who is neither employed nor unemployed. For example, this residual category includes people who:
- are retired
- have personal or family responsibilities such as unpaid housework and childcare
- attend educational institutions
- are permanently unable to work due to physical or mental disabilities
- were temporarily unavailable for work in the survey reference week
- are not actively seeking work.
Unemployed: all people in the working-age population who, during the reference week, were without a paid job, available for work, and had either actively sought work in the past four weeks ending with the reference week, or had a new job to start within the next four weeks.
Unemployment rate: the number of unemployed people expressed as a percentage of the labour force.
Data calculation/treatment
Due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, several seasonally adjusted series were specially treated to maintain a consistent estimate of the seasonal pattern.
The ethnic group is calculated as "total response", which means each person was assigned to each ethnic group they have self-identified with.
For more information
Data provided by
Dataset name
Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Total Resp Ethnic Group and Age Group (Annual-Jun) June 2026
Webpage:
http://infoshare.stats.govt.nz/
How to find the data
At URL provided, select 'Work income and spending > Household Labour Force Survey - HLF > Labour Force Status by Total Resp Ethnic Group and Age Group (Annual-Dec)'. All variables were selected to create this dataset.
Import & extraction details
File as imported: Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Total Resp Ethnic Group and Age Group (Annual-Jun) June 2026
From the dataset Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Total Resp Ethnic Group and Age Group (Annual-Jun) June 2026, this data was extracted:
- Rows: 5-22
- Columns: 2-449
- Provided: 4,032 data points
This data forms the table Labour Force - Status by total response ethnic group and age group Year ended June 2009–2026.
Dataset originally released on:
August 05, 2026
Purpose of collection
The primary purpose of the survey is to estimate the number of people employed, unemployed, and not in the labour force (NILF), and from them, the unemployment rate for the New Zealand labour market. The Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) is designed to produce statistics at the family level, and use of the survey for a purpose for which it was not designed is inevitably subject to some limitations.