Source: Statistics New Zealand
Unemployment rate at 5.3 percent in the March 2026 quarter – news story
6 May 2026
New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
In the March 2026 quarter:
- the unemployment rate was 5.3 percent
- the underutilisation rate was 12.9 percent
- the employment rate was 66.7 percent
- annual wage inflation was 2.0 percent
- average ordinary time hourly earnings were $44.12.
“The unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in the March 2026 quarter, compared with 5.4 percent in the December 2025 quarter,” labour market spokesperson Abby Johnston said.
There were 163,000 unemployed people in the March 2026 quarter, compared with 165,000 in the December 2025 quarter, as measured by the Household Labour Force Survey.
