LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand
New Zealand: LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was 9.68 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand stood at 9.68. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.4% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand peaked at 9.68 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.64, in 2022.
That places New Zealand 28th out of 58 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 9.33 | — |
| 2015 | 9.04 | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 9.19 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 8.86 | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 8.45 | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 7.67 | -9.2% |
| 2020 | 8.73 | +13.8% |
| 2021 | 7.49 | -14.2% |
| 2022 | 6.64 | -11.3% |
| 2023 | 7.4 | +11.3% |
| 2024 | 8.84 | +19.5% |
| 2025 | 9.68 | +9.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 9.68 is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.88, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 9.68 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.42, 1.8× the median. (8 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8.76 | 7.67 | 9.33 | 6 |
| 2020s | 8.13 | 6.64 | 9.68 | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 25 Brazil 9.93 compare
- 26 Netherlands 9.88 compare
- 27 United Kingdom 9.72 compare
- 29 Switzerland 9.3 compare
- 30 Latvia 9.14 compare
- 31 Estonia 8.89 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 lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand?
- Lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in New Zealand was 9.68 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 9.68 in 2025.
- What is the lowest lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.64 in 2022.
- How does New Zealand rank for lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment?
- New Zealand ranks 28th out of 58 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. LU2 represents the share of the labour force that are either in unemployment or time-related underemployment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.