Gareth Kiernan starts the year by looking at what we can expect of the New Zealand economy, and life in general, in 2021.
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Here is list of Infometrics’ latest mentions in the media.
ARTICLES
Infometrics Christmas Carol – 2020
Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan has updated the tradtional 12 Days of Christmas rhyme. This song was riginally published in England in 1780 without music. The standard tune now associated with it is derived from a 1909 arrangement of a traditional folk melody by English composer Frederic Austin…
Reserve Bank independence a distraction from housing’s real issues
The Reserve Bank’s independence is an important feature of New Zealand’s economic framework. The government has some scope to include housing in the Bank’s policy objectives, and it must also ensure that the Bank takes an appropriately broad view of the economic effects of its policy decisions. But housing’s underlying problems will only be solved by more fundamental reforms of our tax system and settings around the supply of land.
Kiwis shifting from cities to the regions
There’s been considerable talk in 2020 about people moving around the country as COVID-19 changes how people live, work, and play. We’ve never had complete and official data on how Kiwis are shifting across New Zealand, but Stats NZ has recently included some net internal migration data which provides a first cut of Kiwis mobility.
Trading our way out of trouble?
From the beginning of the COVID-19 recession, we’ve expected regions with large food-based primary sectors to weather the economic storm better than those that are highly exposed to international tourism.
Keeping tabs on our changing population
The need to understand our changing population has been more important than ever, as an unexpected wave of migration rendered previous projections obsolete. This article explores how this migration wave changed our population, and our view of the future.
Wide regional variations in residential building
Residential construction activity has held up much better than expected since the economy went into lockdown in late March. Some areas have seen a strong burst of activity, but others have seen a softening in anticipated building levels. This article explores some of the emerging regional trends in consent numbers, with detailed regional forecasts of activity available as part of our Regional Construction Outlook.
Chart of the Month: Going to the dogs?
It’s been a long year with not a whole lot of cheery news, as COVID-19 upended plans and lives across the globe. In an attempt to bring some light-hearted fun as we hurtle towards the end of 2020, we’ve focused the Chart of the Month on some of our best friends: Dogs.
Media Release: Strong rebound for regional economic activity, but path ahead remains uncertain
New Zealand’s economy rebounded strongly in the September quarter, with regional economies showing renewed strength as they get back on their feet. The latest Infometrics Quarterly Economic Monitor points to a surge in activity as the economy’s resilience saw businesses and consumers swing back into action after a substantial hit in the June quarter.
Too many houses are mouldy, damp, and cold
Housing remains a hot issue across New Zealand. But there’s not as much focus on the quality of the housing we endlessly debate. In part, this lack of focus is because we haven’t had great insights to work with – and what gets measured gets managed. But Infometrics analysis of Census 2018 data shows some disturbing results, with a concerning number of mouldy, damp or cold houses.