Employment in New Zealand
New Zealand: Employment was 2,876 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2,876
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
92nd
of 174 countries
All-time high
2,902
in 2023
All-time low
1,509
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment in New Zealand, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 2,876 for employment in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 22.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in New Zealand peaked at 2,902 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,509, in 1991.
New Zealand ranks 92nd of 174 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 | 1,509 | — |
| 1992 | 1,514 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 1,545 | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 1,612 | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 1,687 | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 1,741 | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 1,751 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 1,739 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1,766 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 1,800 | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 1,846 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 1,906 | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 1,956 | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 2,024 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 2,085 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 2,135 | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 2,174 | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 2,188 | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 2,164 | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 2,180 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 2,215 | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 2,216 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2,262 | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 2,305 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 2,357 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 2,483 | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 2,586 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 2,652 | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 2,689 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 2,718 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 2,772 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 2,813 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 2,902 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 2,896 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 2,876 | -0.7% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 2,876 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,235, 1.3× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 2,876 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,872, 1.5× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,652 | 1,509 | 1,766 | 9 |
| 2000s | 2,028 | 1,800 | 2,188 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,395 | 2,180 | 2,689 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,829 | 2,718 | 2,902 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
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 2,876 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2,902 in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,509 in 1991.
- How does New Zealand rank for employment?
- New Zealand ranks 92nd out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.0%. 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 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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