The Daily Examiner, story by Mike Bain.

The New Zealand coalition remains optimistic the countries recovery remains on track, despite the labour market update for the March 2025 quarter, showing unemployment remaining at 5.1 per cent, the same as last quarter.

Data released today from Stats NZ showing the unemployment rate has remained the same over the last quarter is encouraging, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.

This is a lower rate of unemployment than either Treasury or the Reserve Bank forecast.

The data release also showed that average hourly wages rose 4.5 per cent over the year.

“While this result is encouraging, it reinforces the need for strong fiscal management and economic growth.

“I know people are still struggling in this economy, that’s why on May 22 the Government will deliver a Budget that continues the work to get the books back in order, while building on the foundations we’ve laid to foster economic growth.

It will be a responsible Budget that secures New Zealand’s future.”

Opposition parties have voiced their thoughts regarding the data Results.

“This is the cost of a Government that governs by cuts: more Kiwis out of work and leaving for Australia, crumbling hospitals, and a shortage of affordable housing,” Labour finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“They’ve also completely abandoned women’s equality with their shameful move to scrap pay equity claims. Women still have more than double the rate of underemployment as men. National has betrayed women on both fronts: jobs and wages.

“These weak workforce numbers are the result of Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon’s disastrous choices. They chose to scrap housing and infrastructure projects that our communities rely on. They chose to lay off thousands of public servants. They chose to weaken worker protections and cancel pay equity claims.

Meanwhile the Green Party’s spokesman for Social Development and Employment, Ricardo Menéndez March is claiming the  Government for the rich is failing unemployed people and fuelling poverty .

“The economy belongs to us, we can build it for us. We can ensure people have stable employment and incomes instead of slashing jobs and cutting back on support for those trying to find work.

“The Ministry of Social Development has recently admitted their frontline capacity is oversubscribed and unable to properly support people due to the punitive sanctions regime the Government has brought in.

“There’s no evidence that sanctions work in helping people into jobs, and it’s clear the Government has no plan for supporting those who are struggling the most.

“As the unemployment rate rises, the Government is preparing an austerity Budget and rushing through legislation to stop pay equity claims, while also passing new laws to create more arbitrary sanctions on beneficiaries.

“All of this is part of the plan to fund tax cuts for the rich and profit from the poverty growing in our communities.