The NZCTU actively works with its affiliates to build a high-wage, high-skill, low-carbon economy in which good work is available to all.
For decades, Aotearoa New Zealand has underinvested in our people and infrastructure, and workers have been denied their fair share of economic growth.
The NZCTU’s policy work focuses on how Aotearoa New Zealand can address its major economic challenges of low wages, climate change, and infrastructure, and how we can build a productive economy in which all workers thrive.
Latest Economy News
- Reverse Robin Hood Budget steals from working peopleBudget 2025 takes $12.8bn from low-income, female dominated workforces to prop up the Government’s failed economic policies, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The Government has promised this… Read More »Reverse Robin Hood Budget steals from working people
- Billions missing from health budgetNew analysis from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi shows that the health service is likely to be underfunded by between $1.2bn to $2bn at the… Read More »Billions missing from health budget
- Submission on the United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Legislation Amendment BillTrade agreements can be a useful tool in strengthening New Zealand’s economic performance, but they must be well designed. This means ensuring they deliver genuine opportunities for economic development in… Read More »Submission on the United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill
- Unemployment data shows real weakness behind the headline rateUnemployment data released today by Statistics New Zealand shows ongoing weakness in the labour market, with falling employment, falling hours of work, and nearly half of all workers getting a… Read More »Unemployment data shows real weakness behind the headline rate
- Govt spending decision signals crisis and cutsThe decision to nearly halve the amount of new investment being made in the next Budget signals that this Government doesn’t care about the users of public services, said NZCTU… Read More »Govt spending decision signals crisis and cuts
- Inflation data confirms real terms minimum wage cutThe NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from… Read More »Inflation data confirms real terms minimum wage cut
Economic Bulletin
The Economic Bulletin provides a worker’s perspective on the New Zealand economy. In each issue, we analyse the latest economic data, examine trends in the New Zealand economy, and discuss policies that will improve outcomes for working people.
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Previous Issues
- Economic Bulletin April/May 2025Welcome to the April/May 2025 Economic Bulletin. The Minister of Finance has made it clear Budget 2025 will bring further cuts to public investment. She has chopped the operating allowance… Read More »Economic Bulletin April/May 2025
- Economic Bulletin March 2025Welcome to the March 2025 Economic Bulletin. The feature article examines what public private partnerships (PPPs) are. PPPs have been a hot topic recently, with the coalition government signalling it… Read More »Economic Bulletin March 2025
- Economic Bulletin January/February 2025Welcome to the January/February 2025 Economic Bulletin. In the feature article Craig surveys the backwards steps New Zealand has been making on child poverty reduction. In our main data updates,… Read More »Economic Bulletin January/February 2025
- Economic Bulletin December 2024Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury… Read More »Economic Bulletin December 2024
- Economic Bulletin October – November 2024Welcome to the October/November 2024 Economic Bulletin. In our monthly feature we look at the current state of the labour market, how it has changed since 2022, and how it… Read More »Economic Bulletin October – November 2024
- Economic Bulletin August/September 2024Welcome to the August/September 2024 Economic Bulletin. In our monthly feature we provide an analysis of the gender pay gap in New Zealand for 2024. The mean gender pay gap… Read More »Economic Bulletin August/September 2024
Budget 23
This is a Budget written in the shadow of an election that will likely define Aotearoa New Zealand for decades to come. It is also a Budget written against the backdrop of inflation, the climate crisis, and other profound challenges for our country.
Budget 2023 shows that the government’s accounts are in a strong position and that our short-term economic position is relatively robust. Much of this Budget is set to ease inflation, with 79% of total costs used just to keep the lights on – against 69% last year and around 50% historically. Government is making some highly targeted investments that will ease cost-of-living pressures, improve living standards for lower-income households, and support science and innovation.
However, government is still hiding behind fiscal indicators instead of delivering the kinds of transformational change that we need. Aotearoa New Zealand should be moving the structural levels of taxation and spending to those we see in the countries that we compare ourselves to.