logo
Unemployment rate rises to highest level since 2020

Unemployment rate rises to highest level since 2020

RNZ News2 days ago
Photo:
RNZ
Unemployment has risen to its highest level since 2020.
Stats NZ numbers show the jobless rate rising to 5.2 percent in the June quarter, up from 5.1 percent in March.
The numbers were slightly below expectations.
Economists had
expected the rate to rise to 5.3 percent for the June quarter
.
They have picked the labour market is close to the bottom, but the lack of meaningful growth in the past quarter has cast doubt on whether this might be the case.
More to come...
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Previous govt spent too much during Covid: Treasury
Previous govt spent too much during Covid: Treasury

Otago Daily Times

time7 hours ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Previous govt spent too much during Covid: Treasury

By Giles Dexter of RNZ The previous government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite warnings from officials, according to a briefing released by the Treasury. The Treasury's 2025 Long Term Insights Briefing said debt had risen in recent decades, partly because responses to adverse shocks were not met by savings between those shocks. The higher debt meant less capacity to respond to future shocks, like natural hazards, weather-related risks and biosecurity risks. Treasury estimated the total cost of the pandemic was $66 billion over the 2020-26 financial years and about 20.4% of GDP. The IMF and OECD estimated it was among the largest Covid-19 responses globally. The agency releases a briefing every three years, with this one looking at the role of fiscal policy through shocks and business cycles. The briefing said the Covid-19 response showed the challenges of using fiscal policy to respond to shocks and cycles. Initially, Treasury recommended "strong fiscal stimulus" at the start of the pandemic, which was cited as "perhaps" causing the economy to be much stronger than expected by the end of 2020. The wage-subsidy scheme in particular was seen as making an important contribution to the strong initial recovery, limiting the increase in the unemployment rate and enabling economic activity to resume when restrictions relaxed. Treasury then moved away from recommending broad-based stimulus, preferring more targeted and moderate support. Its post-election advice to the then-Finance Minister in late 2020 highlighted "the importance of controlling ongoing spending and ensuring it was high value to meet the medium-term fiscal challenge." By August 2021, with the Delta lockdowns coming in, Treasury recommended any decisions to provide support to businesses "should take account of macroeconomic trade-offs". It recommended against any further stimulus from Budget 2022 onwards. Wage subsidies and similar schemes during lockdowns made up about 35% of the costs of the response. A further 18% came from health-system costs, like vaccination, contact tracing, and managed isolation and quarantine. The remaining "nearly half" was made up of a wide range of initiatives that Treasury said had "varied objectives". Some were aimed at directly responding to the impacts of Covid-19, others were aimed at providing fiscal stimulus or "achieving social or environmental objectives". They included "tax changes, training schemes, housing construction, shovel-ready infrastructure projects, increases to welfare benefits, the Small Business Cashflow Scheme, Jobs for Nature, additional public housing places and school lunches". Programmes within the fiscal response that were not tied to the shock were seen as having "a lagged impact on the economy and proved difficult to unwind in later years". The report suggested cyclical management was best left to monetary policy, run by an independent central bank. It also suggested governments set out clearly when fiscal policy will be used ahead of time, including pre-defining responses. Ideally, this would have cross-party agreement. An independent fiscal institution, which could scrutinise and report on the sustainability of fiscal policy, was also suggested. The previous government had considered setting up a watchdog to cost election policies, but it could not get cross-party support. National then changed its tune, with current Finance Minister Nicola Willis supporting such a measure, but New Zealand First and ACT were opposed to the idea. 'Dangers of excessive spending' - Willis Willis jumped on the report's release, saying Treasury's language was "spare and polite", but its conclusions were "damning". She said the briefing showed the challenges of using "big spending measures" to respond to one-off shocks. Willis singled out the briefing's focus on the money spent on initiatives not directly tied to the Covid-19 response. "That is a very diplomatic way of saying New Zealanders are still paying the price of the previous government extending a big-spending approach, initially intended for a pandemic response," she said. Labour has been approached for comment.

Trump's tariffs go into effect — just as economic pain is surfacing
Trump's tariffs go into effect — just as economic pain is surfacing

1News

time7 hours ago

  • 1News

Trump's tariffs go into effect — just as economic pain is surfacing

President Donald Trump has officially begun levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries — just as the economic fallout of his months-long tariff threats has begun to create visible damage for the US economy. The White House said that starting just after midnight (4pm NZ Time) that goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union now faced tariff rates of 10% or higher. Products from the European Union, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand are taxed at 15%, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh are taxed at 20%. For places such as the EU, Japan and South Korea, Trump also expects them to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the US. 'I think the growth is going to be unprecedented,' Trump said Wednesday afternoon (local time). He added that the US was 'taking in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs,' but he couldn't provide a specific figure for revenues because 'we don't even know what the final number is' regarding tariff rates. Despite the uncertainty, the Trump White House is confident that the onset of his broad tariffs will provide clarity about the path of the world's largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the US is headed, the administration believes they can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the US economy as a manufacturing power. But so far, there are signs of self-inflicted wounds to America as companies and consumers alike brace for the impact of new taxes. What the data has shown is a US economy that changed in April with Trump's initial rollout of tariffs, an event that led to market drama, a negotiating period and Trump's ultimate decision to start his universal tariffs on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT A truck carries a cargo container away from a ship unloading at the Port of Oakland, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (Source: Associated Press) After April, economic reports show that hiring began to stall, inflationary pressures crept upward and home values in key markets started to decline, said John Silvia, CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy. 'A less productive economy requires fewer workers,' Silvia said in an analysis note. 'But there is more, the higher tariff prices lower workers' real wages. The economy has become less productive, and firms cannot pay the same real wages as before. Actions have consequences.' Even then, the ultimate transformations of the tariffs are unknown and could play out over months, if not years. Many economists say the risk is that the American economy is steadily eroded rather than collapsing instantly. 'We all want it to be made for television where it's this explosion — it's not like that,' said Brad Jensen, a professor at Georgetown University. 'It's going to be fine sand in the gears and slow things down.' Trump has promoted the tariffs as a way to reduce the persistent trade deficit. But importers sought to avoid the taxes by importing more goods before the taxes went into effect. As a result, the $582.7 billion trade imbalance for the first half of the year was 38% higher than in 2024. Total construction spending has dropped 2.9% over the past year, and the factory jobs promised by Trump have so far resulted in job losses. The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump's tariffs, which have been variously rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and frantically renegotiated. ADVERTISEMENT The process has been so muddled that officials for key trade partners were unclear at the start of the week whether the tariffs would begin Thursday or Friday (local time). The language of the July 31 order to delay the start of tariffs from August 1 said the higher tax rates would start in seven days. On Wednesday morning (local time), Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, was asked if the new tariffs began at midnight Thursday, and he said reporters should check with the US Trade Representative's Office. A student of Gurukul school of Art completes artwork of US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, in Mumbai, India, Friday, August 1, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) Trump today announced additional 25% tariffs to be imposed on India for its buying of Russian oil, bringing their total import taxes to 50%. He has said that import taxes are still coming on pharmaceutical drugs and announced 100% tariffs on computer chips, meaning the US economy could remain in a place of suspended animation as it awaits the impact. The president's use of a 1977 law to declare an economic emergency to impose the tariffs is also under challenge. The impending ruling from last week's hearing before a US appeals court could cause Trump to find other legal justifications if judges say he exceeded his authority. Even people who worked with Trump during his first term are skeptical that things will go smoothly for the economy, such as Paul Ryan, the former Republican House speaker, who has emerged as a Trump critic. 'There's no sort of rationale for this other than the president wanting to raise tariffs based upon his whims, his opinions,' Ryan told CNBC today. 'I think choppy waters are ahead because I think they're going to have some legal challenges.' ADVERTISEMENT Still, the stock market has been solid during the recent tariff drama, with the S&P 500 index climbing more than 25% from its April low. The market's rebound and the income tax cuts in Trump's tax and spending measures signed into law on July 4 have given the White House confidence that economic growth is bound to accelerate in the coming months. As of now, Trump still foresees an economic boom while the rest of the world and American voters wait nervously. 'There's one person who can afford to be cavalier about the uncertainty that he's creating, and that's Donald Trump,' said Rachel West, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation who worked in the Biden White House on labor policy. 'The rest of Americans are already paying the price for that uncertainty.'

Labour MPs gather in Christchurch to formulate election strategy
Labour MPs gather in Christchurch to formulate election strategy

RNZ News

time8 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Labour MPs gather in Christchurch to formulate election strategy

Labour leader Chris Hipkins addressed the Queenstown Business Chamber on Thursday. Photo: Screengrab Analysis: Labour MPs are gathering in Christchurch for a team 'away day', as the party inches closer to announcing its tax policy. Last year's mid-winter retreat was held in Auckland to re-engage with 'supercity' residents , after the party's bruising defeat in Election 2023 The caucus is now pushing to connect with the South Island - leader Chris Hipkins addressed the Queenstown Business Chamber on Thursday, while other MPs visited flood-affected properties in Moteuka. They will all come together in Christchurch on Friday to look to the year ahead and talk strategy for the run-up to next year's election. The meeting comes as the government works against a tide of negative headlines about the economy, with unemployment jumping to 5.2 percent on Wednesday. National campaigned on rebuilding the economy and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon heralded 2025 as the year of "going for growth" in his State of the Nation speech in January . The party is now battling the headwinds of an economic downturn, with some business voices, like former National leader-turned Auckland Chamber boss Simon Bridges, criticising the coalition for not doing more to stimulate the economy. Labour has been near silent on the policy front, choosing instead to criticise the coalition's ideas and hone its messaging on the cost of living to better resonate with voters feeling the pinch. Responding to an update on the government's transition to a universal road-user charges system , Hipkins said the timing could "clobber" those already struggling to pay the bills, but as for Labour's alternative timeline, who knows? The strategy thus far shows some promise, with the left bloc parties - Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori - holding a narrow lead over the coalition in several political polls this year. Labour has also emerged as the party New Zealanders think has the best handle on the cost of living, according to the latest Ipsos Issues Monitor , but the race remains tight and the coalition parties are poised to pounce, when Labour unveils its tax plan this year. On Sunday, The Post reported Labour was one step closer to endorsing a capital gains tax (CGT) - insiders say the party's policy council has narrowly voted for a CGT over a wealth tax . While MPs will most likely discuss tax policy at today's mid-winter retreat, the public shouldn't hold its breath for an announcement. Party process requires both the council and caucus to sign off on policy. In the meantime, the party is clearly preparing to pitch - and defend - its approach to tax. Hipkins told TVNZ's Q+A in March he would need time to "counter the misinformation that often goes with tax changes" before the 2026 Election. Hipkins will give an opening speech to his caucus in Christchurch on Friday, before MPs have policy and strategy discussions behind closed doors. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store