Infometrics Christmas Carol 2018 – sung to the tune of Happy Xmas (War is over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
News
Our work in the news
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ARTICLES
Infometrics economist wins award
Infometrics is delighted with the news that Shaun Twaddle, Infometrics economist and director, recently won the Institute of Directors Wellington Branch Emerging Director Award 2019.
Plastic bag ban provides opportunities and challenges to packaging sector
Kiwis have overwhelmingly supported the government’s plastic bag ban, which will kick in mid-2019. The ban presents the wider packaging sector of 50,000 workers with an opportunity to retool and grow itself as consumers increasingly look for more environmentally friendly options.
Scaremongering about a housing correction
Despite various opinion pieces recently, the New Zealand property market is not heading for a crash. Given the sheer inertia of demand pressures in Auckland, we also think chances of a substantial correction are slim. This article lays out an answer to the question asked by Slade Robertson’s opinion piece in the NZ Herald this morning: are we heading for a crash or correction?
A day in the life of a Technical Lead – David Friggens
Infometrics welcomes David Friggens to the IT side of our team. David is a data analyst with a broad range of experience. Previously he worked at MBIE, Ministry of Education, and University of Waikato.
We chatted to David about what a day in his life is like…
Chart of the month: who let the dogs out?
As we head into summer, many of us will be looking forward to spending time with friends, family, and of course ‘man’s best friend’, the pooch. This month we draw of data from the Department of Internal Affairs to look at where dogs are more concentrated in NZ. There were 560,511 registered dogs in NZ for the year ending 30 June 2018. Two-thirds (67%) of dogs are in the North Island (compared to 77% of the human population), with the remaining third (33%) in the South Island (vs 23% human).
Larger firms increase their share of residential building activity
Consolidation in New Zealand’s residential construction industry has resumed since 2011 as building activity has recovered from the Global Financial Crisis. In 2017, the 100 largest firms made up almost 40% of consents, although that figure slipped to 37% in the March 2018 year. We had expected this trend of consolidation to take place, but it contrasts with a declining market share for the top 100 firms in Australia. Does this apparent fragmentation of the market in Australia foreshadow a similar change for New Zealand?
Downside risks to NZ’s growth outlook accumulate
New Zealand’s provincial economies are poised to drive growth in the economy, building on the recovery in dairy prices during 2016, according to Infometrics latest economic forecasts. Spending activity in the regions is comfortably outpacing activity in the main centres, with commodity prices for most exports holding at high levels.
Community wellbeing: the next frontier?
Earlier this month, Infometrics economist Brad Olsen spoke at the Economic Development New Zealand 2018 Conference ‘Mahi Tahi’ about how to move towards measuring inclusive growth in NZ’s regions. This article summarises the key points of his presentation.
Chart of the month: New Small Area Boundaries
Small area boundaries have changed in New Zealand and Infometrics is gearing up for the changeover. We are evolving our Small Area Economic Profiles (http://www.infometrics.co.nz/product/small-area-profiles) into a more comprehensive Small Area Economic Framework based on the new boundaries.