Unemployed people in New Zealand

Seasonally adjusted, by sex, 1988 Q4–2025 Q4, thousands of people

The following information applies to all values in the table. Labour force status: Persons Unemployed in Labour Force, Adjustment: Seasonally adjusted
Quarter	Sex	Thousands of people
1988 Q4	Female	42
1988 Q4	Male	63
1989 Q1	Female	48
1989 Q1	Male	69
1989 Q2	Female	50
1989 Q2	Male	73
1989 Q3	Female	50
1989 Q3	Male	71
1989 Q4	Female	52
1989 Q4	Male	68
1990 Q1	Female	49
1990 Q1	Male	70
1990 Q2	Female	50
1990 Q2	Male	79
1990 Q3	Female	56
1990 Q3	Male	79
1990 Q4	Female	61
1990 Q4	Male	89
1991 Q1	Female	68
1991 Q1	Male	97
1991 Q2	Female	73
1991 Q2	Male	104
1991 Q3	Female	76
1991 Q3	Male	113
1991 Q4	Female	71
1991 Q4	Male	115
1992 Q1	Female	74
1992 Q1	Male	111
1992 Q2	Female	70
1992 Q2	Male	108
1992 Q3	Female	71
1992 Q3	Male	109
1992 Q4	Female	74
1992 Q4	Male	106
1993 Q1	Female	67
1993 Q1	Male	104
1993 Q2	Female	71
1993 Q2	Male	103
1993 Q3	Female	67
1993 Q3	Male	97
1993 Q4	Female	65
1993 Q4	Male	98
1994 Q1	Female	68
1994 Q1	Male	95
1994 Q2	Female	60
1994 Q2	Male	89
1994 Q3	Female	58
1994 Q3	Male	83
1994 Q4	Female	57
1994 Q4	Male	78
1995 Q1	Female	52
1995 Q1	Male	69
1995 Q2	Female	52
1995 Q2	Male	63
1995 Q3	Female	49
1995 Q3	Male	63
1995 Q4	Female	54
1995 Q4	Male	64
1996 Q1	Female	51
1996 Q1	Male	66
1996 Q2	Female	53
1996 Q2	Male	62
1996 Q3	Female	56
1996 Q3	Male	65
1996 Q4	Female	49
1996 Q4	Male	67
1997 Q1	Female	58
1997 Q1	Male	67
1997 Q2	Female	56
1997 Q2	Male	72
1997 Q3	Female	60
1997 Q3	Male	72
1997 Q4	Female	57
1997 Q4	Male	74
1998 Q1	Female	63
1998 Q1	Male	77
1998 Q2	Female	66
1998 Q2	Male	82
1998 Q3	Female	62
1998 Q3	Male	83
1998 Q4	Female	67
1998 Q4	Male	82
1999 Q1	Female	59
1999 Q1	Male	82
1999 Q2	Female	59
1999 Q2	Male	79
1999 Q3	Female	57
1999 Q3	Male	75
1999 Q4	Female	55
1999 Q4	Male	67
2000 Q1	Female	55
2000 Q1	Male	68
2000 Q2	Female	54
2000 Q2	Male	66
2000 Q3	Female	50
2000 Q3	Male	65
2000 Q4	Female	48
2000 Q4	Male	63
2001 Q1	Female	47
2001 Q1	Male	58
2001 Q2	Female	46
2001 Q2	Male	59
2001 Q3	Female	50
2001 Q3	Male	56
2001 Q4	Female	50
2001 Q4	Male	60
2002 Q1	Female	49
2002 Q1	Male	57
2002 Q2	Female	51
2002 Q2	Male	55
2002 Q3	Female	52
2002 Q3	Male	59
2002 Q4	Female	48
2002 Q4	Male	54
2003 Q1	Female	49
2003 Q1	Male	52
2003 Q2	Female	49
2003 Q2	Male	50
2003 Q3	Female	46
2003 Q3	Male	46
2003 Q4	Female	49
2003 Q4	Male	48
2004 Q1	Female	47
2004 Q1	Male	41
2004 Q2	Female	46
2004 Q2	Male	41
2004 Q3	Female	42
2004 Q3	Male	40
2004 Q4	Female	41
2004 Q4	Male	39
2005 Q1	Female	40
2005 Q1	Male	43
2005 Q2	Female	39
2005 Q2	Male	43
2005 Q3	Female	43
2005 Q3	Male	39
2005 Q4	Female	44
2005 Q4	Male	37
2006 Q1	Female	45
2006 Q1	Male	44
2006 Q2	Female	42
2006 Q2	Male	39
2006 Q3	Female	43
2006 Q3	Male	43
2006 Q4	Female	42
2006 Q4	Male	42
2007 Q1	Female	43
2007 Q1	Male	43
2007 Q2	Female	42
2007 Q2	Male	39
2007 Q3	Female	41
2007 Q3	Male	39
2007 Q4	Female	36
2007 Q4	Male	40
2008 Q1	Female	43
2008 Q1	Male	43
2008 Q2	Female	41
2008 Q2	Male	46
2008 Q3	Female	43
2008 Q3	Male	49
2008 Q4	Female	50
2008 Q4	Male	52
2009 Q1	Female	52
2009 Q1	Male	62
2009 Q2	Female	64
2009 Q2	Male	68
2009 Q3	Female	65
2009 Q3	Male	76
2009 Q4	Female	70
2009 Q4	Male	80
2010 Q1	Female	68
2010 Q1	Male	68
2010 Q2	Female	70
2010 Q2	Male	82
2010 Q3	Female	72
2010 Q3	Male	68
2010 Q4	Female	71
2010 Q4	Male	73
2011 Q1	Female	70
2011 Q1	Male	70
2011 Q2	Female	67
2011 Q2	Male	74
2011 Q3	Female	69
2011 Q3	Male	69
2011 Q4	Female	66
2011 Q4	Male	75
2012 Q1	Female	74
2012 Q1	Male	75
2012 Q2	Female	74
2012 Q2	Male	76
2012 Q3	Female	77
2012 Q3	Male	81
2012 Q4	Female	75
2012 Q4	Male	73
2013 Q1	Female	72
2013 Q1	Male	63
2013 Q2	Female	73
2013 Q2	Male	68
2013 Q3	Female	71
2013 Q3	Male	68
2013 Q4	Female	73
2013 Q4	Male	63
2014 Q1	Female	71
2014 Q1	Male	65
2014 Q2	Female	69
2014 Q2	Male	59
2014 Q3	Female	71
2014 Q3	Male	59
2014 Q4	Female	74
2014 Q4	Male	63
2015 Q1	Female	70
2015 Q1	Male	68
2015 Q2	Female	75
2015 Q2	Male	63
2015 Q3	Female	72
2015 Q3	Male	69
2015 Q4	Female	63
2015 Q4	Male	62
2016 Q1	Female	67
2016 Q1	Male	67
2016 Q2	Female	68
2016 Q2	Male	65
2016 Q3	Female	65
2016 Q3	Male	66
2016 Q4	Female	73
2016 Q4	Male	68
2017 Q1	Female	71
2017 Q1	Male	61
2017 Q2	Female	62
2017 Q2	Male	68
2017 Q3	Female	69
2017 Q3	Male	60
2017 Q4	Female	65
2017 Q4	Male	58
2018 Q1	Female	63
2018 Q1	Male	58
2018 Q2	Female	64
2018 Q2	Male	64
2018 Q3	Female	52
2018 Q3	Male	59
2018 Q4	Female	56
2018 Q4	Male	66
2019 Q1	Female	60
2019 Q1	Male	56
2019 Q2	Female	58
2019 Q2	Male	55
2019 Q3	Female	59
2019 Q3	Male	57
2019 Q4	Female	58
2019 Q4	Male	58
2020 Q1	Female	60
2020 Q1	Male	61
2020 Q2	Female	61
2020 Q2	Male	55
2020 Q3	Female	75
2020 Q3	Male	73
2020 Q4	Female	73
2020 Q4	Male	68
2021 Q1	Female	63
2021 Q1	Male	70
2021 Q2	Female	57
2021 Q2	Male	57
2021 Q3	Female	45
2021 Q3	Male	50
2021 Q4	Female	46
2021 Q4	Male	46
2022 Q1	Female	46
2022 Q1	Male	48
2022 Q2	Female	49
2022 Q2	Male	47
2022 Q3	Female	52
2022 Q3	Male	44
2022 Q4	Female	49
2022 Q4	Male	51
2023 Q1	Female	52
2023 Q1	Male	51
2023 Q2	Female	56
2023 Q2	Male	54
2023 Q3	Female	60
2023 Q3	Male	60
2023 Q4	Female	62
2023 Q4	Male	60
2024 Q1	Female	69
2024 Q1	Male	65
2024 Q2	Female	69
2024 Q2	Male	74
2024 Q3	Female	73
2024 Q3	Male	75
2024 Q4	Female	76
2024 Q4	Male	79
2025 Q1	Female	78
2025 Q1	Male	78
2025 Q2	Female	79
2025 Q2	Male	79
2025 Q3	Female	78
2025 Q3	Male	83
2025 Q4	Female	82
2025 Q4	Male	83

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.

For more information

http://datainfoplus.stats.govt.nz/Item/nz.govt.stats/b7c39358-aa03-446f-a27d-91c37caac35d#/nz.govt.stats/b7c39358-aa03-446f-a27d-91c37caac35d

Data provided by

Stats NZ

Dataset name

Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Sex Seasonally Adjusted (Quarterly) December 2025

Webpage:

https://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 Sex: Seasonally Adjusted (Qrtly-Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec)'. All variables were selected in order to create this dataset.

Import & extraction details

File as imported: Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Sex Seasonally Adjusted (Quarterly) December 2025

From the dataset Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Sex Seasonally Adjusted (Quarterly) December 2025, this data was extracted:

Rows: 4-163
Columns: 2-49
Provided: 3,840 data points

This data forms the table Labour Force - Status by sex, seasonally adjusted 1986 Q1–2025 Q4.

Dataset originally released on:

February 04, 2026

About this dataset

This adjusted series is the official measure of unemployment in New Zealand.

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.

Unemployed people in New Zealand

Seasonally adjusted, by sex, 1988 Q4–2025 Q4, thousands of people

About this data

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