The signs were all there, unemployment was likely to go up – and it did, economists had been warning it would be heading up citing things such as low participation rates and a stalling economy. Today Stats NZ released the Labour market statistics for September 2025 quarter and it showed:

• unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, compared with 5.2 percent
• underutilisation rate was 12.9 percent, compared with 12.8 percent
• employment rate was 66.6 percent, compared with 66.8 percent.

 Stats NZ noted: “Changes in unemployment rates for Māori and Pacific peoples were not statistically significant. In the September 2025 quarter, the unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) for:

• Māori was 10.5 percent, compared with 9.3 percent a year earlier
• Pacific peoples was 12.1 percent, compared with 10.0 percent a year earlier.”

Matthew Tukaki caught up with Martyn Bradbury to korero what was said on his show last night.