Pasifika unemployment remains twice the national rate
Figures released by Statistics NZ on Wednesday put the unemployment rate for Pacific peoples at 11.6 percent in the June 2026 quarter, or around 23,700 Pacific workers.
Pasifika unemployment in New Zealand continues to be twice the national rate, despite the overall unemployment rate reaching a near-11 year high. According to Statistics NZ, the unemployment rate for Pacific peoples was 11.6 percent in the June 2026 quarter, equating to approximately 23,700 Pacific workers. Over the period from June 2025 to 2026, an average of 12 percent of Pasifika individuals were actively seeking employment but were unable to find work, a figure significantly higher than the national average of 5.6 percent.
Additionally, Pasifika underutilisation, which refers to those working fewer hours than they should, stood at 21.3 percent for the year, marking a 2.2 percent increase. Nationwide unemployment climbed to 5.6 percent this quarter, a level not witnessed since September 2015. The total number of unemployed individuals increased to 171,000, a rise of 7,000 from the previous quarter and 13,000 more than a year ago.
Notably, male unemployment has not been higher than it is currently since 2013. Unemployment and underutilisation rates among Māori also remained high, at 11 percent and 22 percent respectively, over the past year. Pasifika unemployment peaked at a historic level of 12.2 percent in the December 2025 quarter.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
