Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan has penned Infometrics’ traditional Christmas Carol. Sung to the tune of Perry Como's Christmas song “It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas”. Read

Economic figures aren’t always the most interesting or entertaining, but they are important to monitor how broader trends evolve and what they mean for different groups. But sometimes, various datasets can be put to more fun use. For our last Chart of the Month for 2024, we look into Christmas costs... Read

2024 has been a challenging year for the economy, and although Infometrics has been sailing the same choppy waters as our clients, we’d like to focus on the positives as we pause for the summer break and reflect on the past 12 months. Read

US President Ronald Reagan is famous for repeatedly using the phrase “trust, but verify”, underscoring the importance of testing assumptions to confirm that claims are true. It’s a phrase that economists also keep in mind when dealing with a vast array of different datasets. Read

The pace of supplier cost increases to Foodstuffs supermarkets picked up slightly in November, with the Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) showing an average 2.1% increase in what suppliers charged in November 2024, compared to a year earlier. Read

Infometrics has recently added a number of environmental indicators to the Regional Economic Profile and Quarterly Economic Monitor, including estimates of carbon emissions. This article explores how we have constructed our estimates, and what insights can be gained from our analysis. Read

Employment has fallen over the last year, as businesses across New Zealand have seen lower sales and falling business activity, and moved to right-size their workforces for the work on offer. But the fall in employment hasn’t been spread evenly across all industries, with some seeing a steeper drop in activity and a steeper drop in jobs. Read

Te Pūkenga recently released an ITP Competition Report under an official information act (OIA) request. The report contains a trove of information and data about Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) operating in each of New Zealand’s regions. I was surprised at the sheer number of TEOs in regions that have relatively small populations, which led me to wonder whether there would be benefits to having fewer TEOs. Read

The economy remains in the thick of it, with tough operating conditions in the September quarter according to Infometrics’ latest monitoring of regional economies. Despite falling interest rates, business conditions are difficult at present, with rising unemployment limiting spending and investment ... Read

Concrete roads are well suited for high intensity traffic and are more cost effective in the long run according to a new economic report. Read