New Zealand’s labour market shed another 10,000 jobs in the June quarter, leaving total employment down 50,000 since December 2023, according to new figures from Stats NZ.
The biggest hits came in construction, which lost 2,315 jobs or 1.3 per cent, accommodation and food services down 1,869 jobs, and administrative and support services off 1,337. The construction industry has shed 16,000 roles, while manufacturing is down 8,700 and retail 6,000 since 2023.
Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said the numbers showed “about 11,000 jobs were lost in the quarter on a seasonal basis,” with a $720 million fall in construction sales spilling over into related industries.
While Auckland lost 4,828 jobs and Wellington 1,342, some smaller districts fared much worse year-on-year. Horowhenua was down 10.78 per cent, Kaipara 10.44 per cent, Gore 9.5 per cent and Upper Hutt 9.31 per cent.
“The loss of jobs in smaller provincial centres was a surprise because other data indicated that rural economies were doing well on the back of strong commodity prices,” said Shamubeel Eaqub, chief economist at Simplicity.
BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said the economy remains in a “stop-start fragile” phase. GDP fell 0.5 per cent in the second quarter, pushing any labour market rebound into next year. “Strength in provincial areas might still be to come,” he added, noting that cashflow in rural economies has not yet translated into hiring.
Olsen cautioned construction job losses may continue, though early signs in the September quarter of 2025 point to “a little bit more of a bounce back.”