World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · High income

New Zealand: the labour market

Labour force is 3.1m (2025), 108th of 187 in the world and 17th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 70.4% (2025), 27th of 187 in the world and 5th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 66.1% (2025), 21st of 187 in the world and 5th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force3.1m2025 · world 108/187 · region 17/29Participation rate70.4%2025 · world 27/187 · region 5/29Women's participation66.1%2025 · world 21/187 · region 5/29Employment rate66.8%2025 · world 29/187 · region 6/29
Labour force
New Zealand
01.0m2.0m3.0m4.0m1995200020052010201520202025New Zealand3.1m
Participation rate
New ZealandEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025New Zealand70.4%East Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: New Zealand in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total3.1m2025108/18717/291.9m2.3m2.9m+22%since 20151.3bn734m3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+70.4%202527/1875/2964.8%67.5%69.9%+2.0 ppsince 201565.2%61.0%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+66.1%202521/1875/2956.7%61.4%64.7%+3.2 ppsince 201558.1%54.3%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)66.8%202529/1876/2960.8%63.1%66.7%+2.1 ppsince 201562.7%58.3%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)5.1%202597/1877/296.1%6.6%4.6%−0.3 ppsince 20153.8%4.4%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)5.3%2025103/1877/296.0%6.9%5.0%−0.6 ppsince 20153.4%4.6%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)14.4%202582/1876/2913.5%17.4%12.4%+0.5 ppsince 201512.5%11.5%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %12.8%2024121/17017/28·13.6%12.9%+1.1 ppsince 201415.3%10.6%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment81.6%202558/18710/2977.3%79.5%80.4%+1.9 ppsince 201561.0%88.9%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)12.6%2025138/18722/2915.7%14.2%13.8%−1.6 ppsince 201535.3%8.0%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment5.4%2025129/18719/298.7%6.9%6.0%−0.7 ppsince 201521.7%2.9%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment19.9%202581/18715/2923.3%21.0%20.4%−2.0 ppsince 201528.5%22.2%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment74.6%202538/1879/2968.0%72.2%73.6%+2.7 ppsince 201549.9%74.9%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

New Zealand and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with New Zealand. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorNew ZealandAustralia
Labour force3.1m202515.1m2025
Participation rate70.4%202566.5%2025
Women's participation66.1%202562.5%2025
Employment rate66.8%202563.8%2025
Unemployment5.1%20254.1%2025
Female unemployment5.3%20254.0%2025
Youth unemployment14.4%20259.6%2025
Youth NEET rate12.8%20248.4%2025
Wage workers81.6%202583.9%2025
Australia: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: high-income countries86 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesNew Zealand: all key statisticscountry profile