Youth Unemployment Rate in New Zealand increased to 15.90 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from 13.50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Youth Unemployment Rate in New Zealand averaged 12.19 percent from 2004 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 15.90 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and a record low of 9.80 percent in the first quarter of 2004. source: Statistics New Zealand

Related	Last	Previous	Unit	Reference
Employed Persons	2889.00	2885.00	Thousand	Mar 2026
Employment Change	0.20	0.50	percent	Mar 2026
Employment Rate	66.70	66.70	percent	Mar 2026
Full Time Employment	2303.00	2300.00	Thousand	Mar 2026
Participation Rate	70.40	70.50	percent	Mar 2026
Labour Costs Index	1450.00	1443.00	points	Mar 2026
Part Time Employment	588.00	585.00	Thousand	Mar 2026
Population	5.34	5.31	Million	Dec 2025
Productivity	1376.00	1385.00	points	Dec 2024
Unemployed Persons	163.00	165.00	Thousand	Mar 2026
Unemployment Rate	5.30	5.40	percent	Mar 2026
Wages	44.20	44.08	NZD/Hour	Mar 2026
Wages in Manufacturing	40.66	40.54	NZD/Hour	Mar 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate	15.90	13.50	percent	Mar 2026