Skip to content

Economy

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

See all Economy

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.  

Budget Report 2023

Download the PDF

We cover:

Economic Bulletin

In our regular Economic Bulletin, we examine issues relevant to working people with an economic lense.

Subscribe to get the Bulletin directly in your email inbox.

"*" indicates required fields

Previous Issues

View all issues of the Economic Bulletin