Stats NZ said the unemployment rate rose to 5.6 percent in the three months ended June, from a revised 5.4 percent in the previous quarter. A total of 171,000 people were unemployed, a rise of 7,000 on the previous quarter and 13,000 higher than a year ago. “Around 8,000 more people were experiencing long term unemployment in the June quarter than in the same quarter in 2025,” labour stats spokesperson Abby Johnston said. The RBNZ has said lowering inflation back to the 2 percent target is important to foster growth and jobs. “The unemployment rate rose by more than expected, and although the employment measures were mixed, on average they support our expectation of soft growth in activity over the quarter.“