An overview of labour force participation in Auckland, as indicated by results of Stats NZ's quarterly Household Labour Force Survey. HLFS

Overview and highlights

For the March 2025 quarter, compared to the preceding quarter (December 2024):

• Auckland’s unemployment rate was 6.4%, higher than 5.3% in December 2024, and highest quarterly rate in ten years, but lower than 2009 to 2012.
• The number of people who were unemployed rose to 68,100 (+12,000, up 21%).
• The number of people employed fell slightly to 995,600 (-3,400, a 0.3% fall).
• The number of people not in the labour force (NILF) was similar at 398,900 (-900).
• The labour force participation rate (LFPR) was similar at 72.7%: among the lowest in three years, but higher than 1995 to 2021. LFPR since 2021 have been at record highs.

In addition, for the March 2025 quarter:

• The rate of people aged 15 to 24 not in employment, education or training (NEET) was 15.9%, above the rest of New Zealand (13.5%) and (slightly) December 2024 (14.8%).

Over the year ended March 2025, compared to the year ended March 2024:

• The unemployment rate averaged 5.4%, higher than a year earlier (2024: 4.1%).
• The unemployment rate increase was highest for ages 15 to 19 (+5.7% to 25.0%) and 20 to 24 (+2.8% to 10.7%); other ages rose by similar proportions but absolute less: 25 to 39 (+1.0% to 4.4%), 40 to 54 (+1.1% to 3.6%); 55 and over less so (+0.4% to 3.1%).
• The unemployment rate for females averaged 5.6%, above the previous year (4.6%). The rate for males averaged 5.1% (above 3.7% a year prior), so the gap between males and females (0.5%) fell below the 20-year average (0.8%).
• Unemployment rates varied between the main ethnic groups, but rose for each of them: Māori (11.5%, up by a quarter from 9.2%), Pacific peoples (10.1%, up by a quarter from 7.9%), European (3.9%, up from 3.3%), and Asian (5.0%, up by half from 3.4%).
• The labour force participation rate (LFPR) averaged 72.8%, down from a year earlier (74.2%) but remaining higher than any time before 2023.
• The LFPR for females fell slightly more (68.0%, down 1.5% from 69.5%), and was significantly lower, than for males (77.7% down 1.3%); both slowly falling after 2023.
• Labour force participation rates fell for those aged 15-19 (down 4.6% to 41.0%), less so for ages 20 to 24 (down 1.4% to 78.6%) and 40-54 (87.6%, down 1.3%), but fell only slightly or no change for ages 25-39 (88.2%, no change) and 55+ (51.5%, down 0.8%).
• Labour force participation rates by ethnic group fell for Māori (66.7%, down 2.5%), European (73.5%, down 1.9%) Pacific peoples (65.4%, down 1.4%) and Asian (76.5%, down 1.2%); all but Pacific are still at or near the record levels prevalent since 2022.

In addition, over the year ended March 2025:

• The annual average NEET rate for Auckland was 14.0%, a little above the rest of New Zealand (12.2%), and a little above the year ended March 2024 (12.3%).
• Auckland NEET rates were highest for Māori (23.1%) and Pacific (20.2%) ethnicities, and for the Southern Initiative area (22.4%); one third (11,400) identified as European.
• Auckland’s NEET rate was higher for those aged 20-24 (16.9%) than 15-19 (11.0%).

Overview published May 2025.

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