Articles
We are excited to launch an expansion of our Quarterly Economic Monitor (QEM) to provide a broader perspective on the prosperity of New Zealand’s communities. In this article, we introduce and explore the 13 new indicators which reflect economic, labour, social, and housing outcomes at a local level. Read
New Zealand’s economy looks to have expanded further in the September 2023 quarter, although momentum has slowed as various economic pressures hit. Continued jobs and population growth have supported growth, but high inflation and higher interest rates have moderated the strength seen in the economy. Rising pressures on the primary sector are also beginning to hit provincial economies. Read
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
Domestic student university enrolments are reportedly down 3,000 this year compared with last year. Here, we examine why university enrolments might have fallen and whether they are likely to recover. Read
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas reduction targets are a critical part of moving towards a more resilient and sustainable model of production. An important, and underdiscussed part of this conversation, is the notion of Read
Recent data has been showing a downshift in residential building activity and less retail purchasing of hardware and DIY items. Although stock levels have also been falling, retail building supply stocks remain considerably higher than pre-pandemic. Higher stock levels but still-falling sales activi... 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
Although the international tourism rebound for New Zealand has been strong, there has been little assessment of how domestic flight activity has been tracking. Despite some challenges, domestic air travel remains stronger than international travel, but is being squeezed by higher inflation, rapidly ... Read