A deteriorating economic climate continues to make life difficult for regional economies, according to Infometrics’ latest monitoring of regional economies. The March 2024 Infometrics Quarterly Economic Monitor suggests that economic activity in the first three months of 2024 was 0.3%pa higher than ... Read

New analysis from Infometrics, first released to Infometrics clients last week, shows that returning the GST charged on local council rates back to councils would cost the government $1.1b. This amount of money would then be available for local councils to help fund the services and investments bein... Read

Principal Economist, Brad Olsen, examines rising local government costs. With expectations that rates rises in 2024 will be the largest since local council reforms in 1989... Read

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

Still too-high inflation and considerably higher interest rates are combining to constrain economic activity across New Zealand, according to Infometrics’ latest monitoring of regional economies. Read

The knowledge economy matters because it drives innovation and productivity growth and is the engine of sophisticated economies. Knowledge industries also help improve our wellbeing through better healthcare, and they nurture the next generation by providing them with new skills through education and training. In this article I draw on data from the recently published 2023 Infometrics Regional Economic Profile and investigate the growth of knowledge intensive employment in New Zealand. The analysis details which parts of the economy have contributed most to knowledge intensive growth, and which regions lead the pack in knowledge intensity. Read

The public sector is a significant employer in New Zealand, and it’s well known that these jobs are concentrated in Wellington. But how significant is the public sector as an employer around the country, and what components of the public sector drive this? Read

Data for October could show migration edging up to another record high, surpassing September’s result of nearly 119,000 people net coming into the country over the last year. But with this flood of arrivals adding to demand pressures across the economy, provincial areas could bear the brunt of the policy response. 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