Unemployment rate in New Zealand
1988 Q4–2025 Q4, % of the labour force
| Quarter | % of the labour force |
|---|---|
| 1988 Q4 | 6.2% |
| 1989 Q1 | 7.4% |
| 1989 Q2 | 7.4% |
| 1989 Q3 | 7.2% |
| 1989 Q4 | 7.1% |
| 1990 Q1 | 7.5% |
| 1990 Q2 | 7.6% |
| 1990 Q3 | 8% |
| 1990 Q4 | 8.8% |
| 1991 Q1 | 10.2% |
| 1991 Q2 | 10.3% |
| 1991 Q3 | 11% |
| 1991 Q4 | 10.9% |
| 1992 Q1 | 11.4% |
| 1992 Q2 | 10.3% |
| 1992 Q3 | 10.4% |
| 1992 Q4 | 10.5% |
| 1993 Q1 | 10.5% |
| 1993 Q2 | 10% |
| 1993 Q3 | 9.3% |
| 1993 Q4 | 9.4% |
| 1994 Q1 | 9.7% |
| 1994 Q2 | 8.4% |
| 1994 Q3 | 7.8% |
| 1994 Q4 | 7.5% |
| 1995 Q1 | 7.1% |
| 1995 Q2 | 6.3% |
| 1995 Q3 | 6.1% |
| 1995 Q4 | 6.3% |
| 1996 Q1 | 6.7% |
| 1996 Q2 | 6.1% |
| 1996 Q3 | 6.3% |
| 1996 Q4 | 6.1% |
| 1997 Q1 | 7% |
| 1997 Q2 | 6.7% |
| 1997 Q3 | 6.8% |
| 1997 Q4 | 6.8% |
| 1998 Q1 | 7.8% |
| 1998 Q2 | 7.8% |
| 1998 Q3 | 7.5% |
| 1998 Q4 | 7.8% |
| 1999 Q1 | 7.8% |
| 1999 Q2 | 7.3% |
| 1999 Q3 | 6.8% |
| 1999 Q4 | 6.2% |
| 2000 Q1 | 6.8% |
| 2000 Q2 | 6.3% |
| 2000 Q3 | 5.9% |
| 2000 Q4 | 5.6% |
| 2001 Q1 | 5.8% |
| 2001 Q2 | 5.4% |
| 2001 Q3 | 5.2% |
| 2001 Q4 | 5.4% |
| 2002 Q1 | 5.7% |
| 2002 Q2 | 5.2% |
| 2002 Q3 | 5.4% |
| 2002 Q4 | 4.9% |
| 2003 Q1 | 5.4% |
| 2003 Q2 | 4.7% |
| 2003 Q3 | 4.4% |
| 2003 Q4 | 4.6% |
| 2004 Q1 | 4.7% |
| 2004 Q2 | 4.1% |
| 2004 Q3 | 3.7% |
| 2004 Q4 | 3.6% |
| 2005 Q1 | 4.3% |
| 2005 Q2 | 3.7% |
| 2005 Q3 | 3.7% |
| 2005 Q4 | 3.6% |
| 2006 Q1 | 4.5% |
| 2006 Q2 | 3.6% |
| 2006 Q3 | 3.7% |
| 2006 Q4 | 3.6% |
| 2007 Q1 | 4.2% |
| 2007 Q2 | 3.5% |
| 2007 Q3 | 3.4% |
| 2007 Q4 | 3.2% |
| 2008 Q1 | 4.2% |
| 2008 Q2 | 3.7% |
| 2008 Q3 | 3.9% |
| 2008 Q4 | 4.3% |
| 2009 Q1 | 5.4% |
| 2009 Q2 | 5.6% |
| 2009 Q3 | 6.1% |
| 2009 Q4 | 6.4% |
| 2010 Q1 | 6.4% |
| 2010 Q2 | 6.4% |
| 2010 Q3 | 6% |
| 2010 Q4 | 6.1% |
| 2011 Q1 | 6.4% |
| 2011 Q2 | 5.9% |
| 2011 Q3 | 5.9% |
| 2011 Q4 | 5.9% |
| 2012 Q1 | 6.7% |
| 2012 Q2 | 6.2% |
| 2012 Q3 | 6.7% |
| 2012 Q4 | 6.3% |
| 2013 Q1 | 6.1% |
| 2013 Q2 | 5.9% |
| 2013 Q3 | 5.8% |
| 2013 Q4 | 5.6% |
| 2014 Q1 | 5.9% |
| 2014 Q2 | 5.1% |
| 2014 Q3 | 5.2% |
| 2014 Q4 | 5.5% |
| 2015 Q1 | 5.8% |
| 2015 Q2 | 5.4% |
| 2015 Q3 | 5.5% |
| 2015 Q4 | 4.9% |
| 2016 Q1 | 5.5% |
| 2016 Q2 | 4.9% |
| 2016 Q3 | 4.9% |
| 2016 Q4 | 5.2% |
| 2017 Q1 | 5.2% |
| 2017 Q2 | 4.7% |
| 2017 Q3 | 4.6% |
| 2017 Q4 | 4.4% |
| 2018 Q1 | 4.6% |
| 2018 Q2 | 4.4% |
| 2018 Q3 | 3.9% |
| 2018 Q4 | 4.4% |
| 2019 Q1 | 4.4% |
| 2019 Q2 | 3.9% |
| 2019 Q3 | 4% |
| 2019 Q4 | 4.1% |
| 2020 Q1 | 4.5% |
| 2020 Q2 | 3.9% |
| 2020 Q3 | 5.1% |
| 2020 Q4 | 4.9% |
| 2021 Q1 | 4.9% |
| 2021 Q2 | 3.9% |
| 2021 Q3 | 3.2% |
| 2021 Q4 | 3.2% |
| 2022 Q1 | 3.5% |
| 2022 Q2 | 3.2% |
| 2022 Q3 | 3.2% |
| 2022 Q4 | 3.4% |
| 2023 Q1 | 3.7% |
| 2023 Q2 | 3.5% |
| 2023 Q3 | 3.9% |
| 2023 Q4 | 4% |
| 2024 Q1 | 4.7% |
| 2024 Q2 | 4.5% |
| 2024 Q3 | 4.8% |
| 2024 Q4 | 5% |
| 2025 Q1 | 5.5% |
| 2025 Q2 | 5.1% |
| 2025 Q3 | 5.2% |
| 2025 Q4 | 5.3% |
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.
For more information
Data provided by
Dataset name
Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Sex by Regional Council (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 by Regional Council (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 by Regional Council (Quarterly) December 2025
From the dataset Household Labour Force Survey: Labour Force Status by Sex by Regional Council (Quarterly) December 2025, this data was extracted:
- Rows: 5-164
- Columns: 2-919
- Provided: 73,440 data points
This data forms the table Labour Force - Status by sex by region 1986 Q1–2025 Q4.
Dataset originally released on:
February 04, 2026
About this dataset
Labour market statistics provide a picture of the New Zealand labour market, including unemployment and employment rates, demand for labour, and changes in wages and salaries.
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.