Employment has fallen over the last year, as businesses across New Zealand have seen lower sales and falling business activity, and moved to right-size their workforces for the work on offer. But the fall in employment hasn’t been spread evenly across all industries, with some seeing a steeper drop in activity and a steeper drop in jobs. Read

Infometrics has recently added a number of environmental indicators to the Regional Economic Profile and Quarterly Economic Monitor, including estimates of carbon emissions. This article explores how we have constructed our estimates, and what insights can be gained from our analysis. Read

Te Pūkenga recently released an ITP Competition Report under an official information act (OIA) request. The report contains a trove of information and data about Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) operating in each of New Zealand’s regions. I was surprised at the sheer number of TEOs in regions that have relatively small populations, which led me to wonder whether there would be benefits to having fewer TEOs. Read

The economy remains in the thick of it, with tough operating conditions in the September quarter according to Infometrics’ latest monitoring of regional economies. Despite falling interest rates, business conditions are difficult at present, with rising unemployment limiting spending and investment ... Read

Concrete roads are well suited for high intensity traffic and are more cost effective in the long run according to a new economic report. Read

Cost pressures for the road transport industry were mixed in the September quarter. Interest costs eased 2.1% to be down 4.5% from a year ago, representing the first annual decline since 2021, as the Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate for the first time since 2020. The OCR was lowered by anothe... Read

The pace of supplier cost increases to Foodstuffs supermarkets moderated further in October, with the Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) showing an average 2.0% increase in what suppliers charged in October 2024, compared to a year earlier. Read

We are introducing a new indicator for first home buyer activity – First Home Loans. This article explores first home buyer activity in the housing market from a few different angles and introduces our new measure. Read

The 2023 Infometrics Creativity Index confirms many of the trends and outcomes of previous years, but with some subtle differences below the surface. The overall importance of the arts and creative sector to the New Zealand economy was unchanged in 2023 from a year ago, with 4.27% of the workforce employed in the sector. Read

In our October 2024 Chart of the Month, we explore the role of peer to peer (P2P) accommodation around the country, finding that P2P makes up more than a third of guest nights in some areas, and not in the tourism hotspots that you might expect. Read