Employment in New Zealand
New Zealand: Employment was 2,880 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in New Zealand, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in New Zealand stood at 2,880.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in New Zealand peaked at 2,906 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,516, in 1991.
New Zealand ranks 111th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1,516 | — |
| 1992 | 1,528 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 1,559 | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 1,626 | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 1,701 | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 1,752 | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 1,761 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 1,750 | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1,778 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 1,811 | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 1,861 | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 1,919 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 1,965 | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 2,036 | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 2,097 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 2,144 | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 2,183 | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 2,192 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 2,164 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 2,172 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 2,205 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 2,205 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 2,249 | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 2,333 | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 2,392 | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 2,500 | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 2,603 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 2,667 | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 2,714 | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 2,737 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 2,807 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 2,864 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 2,906 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 2,870 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 2,880 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,663 | 1,516 | 1,778 | 9 |
| 2000s | 2,037 | 1,811 | 2,192 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,404 | 2,172 | 2,714 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,844 | 2,737 | 2,906 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 108 Norway 2,958 compare
- 109 El Salvador 2,891 compare
- 110 Somalia 2,882 compare
- 112 Sierra Leone 2,843 compare
- 113 Oman 2,751 compare
- 114 Kyrgyzstan 2,749 compare
More work & labour data for New Zealand
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0748 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0721 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0776 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.4877 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,200 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 511.04 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,819 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,994 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,812 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in New Zealand?
- Employment in New Zealand was 2,880 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2,906 in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,516 in 1991.
- How does New Zealand rank for employment?
- New Zealand ranks 111th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.