FX.co ★ New Zealand Jobless Rate Highest Since 2015

New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.6% in the June 2026 quarter, exceeding both the upwardly revised rate of the previous quarter and market expectations of 5.4%. This marked the highest level since the third quarter of 2015, as the number of unemployed people increased by 7,000 from the prior quarter to 171,000. Over the same period, employment grew by 13,000 to 2.91 million, leaving the employment rate unchanged from Q1 at 66.7%.