Infometrics has recently added a new section to our Regional Economic Profile which explores the Pacific Peoples population and their role in regional labour markets. This article outlines the growing significance of New Zealand’s Pacific Peoples population in the context of broader demographic shifts. Read

The tightness of the labour market in recent years has seen higher levels of reported poaching of talent, as businesses competed for workers. Anecdotally, we have been hearing from employers that worker headhunting and poaching are becoming less commonplace. But does the data support this? Read

Annual inflation may have come down to 6.0%pa, but businesses and households alike are still facing extreme cost pressures. A massive influx of migration and a high number of people returning to work has helped to alleviate some labour market pressures, and yet some underlying wage measures are stil... Read

Economic momentum continues to hold up better than expected across New Zealand, with rapid jobs growth and population growth counterbalancing inflation and interest rate challenges faced by households. Some parts of the country continue to experience solid growth, but others remain hampered by the ongoing effects of wild weather over the first half of 2023. Read

Has the Reserve Bank done enough in its battle to bring inflation back under control? Data over the last month has been inconclusive about whether demand is softening sufficiently to limit the ability to raise prices at pace. Headline inflation has been trending in the right direction since the end of last year, easing from 7.2% to 6.0%pa, but prices are still increasing at twice the rate the Bank is aiming for. And there must still be concerns that the tail of domestic price pressures is going to hang around for some time yet. Read

New Zealand’s workforce continues to age, raising questions about whether there will be sufficient workers in the future to meet the economy’s needs. But changes in life expectancy have shifted working patterns for people over time, and it’s clear that more people are working longer. Read

Younger New Zealanders are, broadly speaking, more highly qualified than those in older age groups. Why is this, and does it matter? Read

Townhouse consents in the last 12 months have reached a record 42% of all new dwelling consents, up from less than 6% of all new consents in late 2012. This phenomenal growth over the last decade has been underpinned by a combination of deteriorating housing affordability and more relaxed planning and zoning regulations. Buyer preferences and perceptions have also changed, meaning that townhouses and terraced housing are not seen to be as inferior as they were in previous years. Read

AI has begun to be integrated into the workplace. But it is early days. In this article I look at the evidence to date on how AI will change the workplace, which skills AI is likely to automate, and what the limitations of AI are. Read

Last week the Government announced that from 3 October registrations for the Samoan Quota will reopen and from 5 October registrations for the Pacific Access Category (PAC) will reopen. These pathways will provide for up to 5,900 people to become residents over the next two years, which the government say will help reduce the impact of global labour shortages and help grow our economy. But will it? Read