Unemployment rate rises to 5.7%, population of Hamilton out of work

Tom RaynelMultimedia Business Reporter·NZ Herald·3 Nov, 2026 10:01 PM2 mins to read‌New Zealand's unemployment rate has risen to 5.7%, with 174,000 Kiwis out of work. Photo / Getty ImagesNew Zealand's unemployment rate has risen to 5.7%, with 174,000 Kiwis out of work. Photo / Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s unemployment rate has risen to 5.7% in the September 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today, out of line with economists’ expectations.Forecasts were for the unemployment rate to be 5.4% or 5.5%. For men, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.6%, while the rate