News

The Coalition Government’s second Budget has landed, attempting to strike a balance between responsible spending and investment in business growth.

The Government is removing tax roadblocks to investment, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. 

Tomorrow the coalition Government of National, ACT & New Zealand First will announce Budget 2025.

The task for the Government is to walk a line that ensures fiscal responsibility, while still investing in measures that will help New Zealanders get ahead.

The Government has announced changes to the Equal Pay Act. 

The Government is committed to maintaining a process to raise and resolve pay equity claims and these changes aim to make the process workable and sustainable. 

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1% in the March 2025 quarter, unchanged from last quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ last week. 

In the March 2025 quarter: 

Employment indicators provide an early indication of changes in the labour market. 

Changes in the seasonally adjusted filled jobs for the March 2025 month (compared with the February 
2025 month) were:

The electronic card transactions (ECT) series covers debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. The series can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says changes are coming to support freedom of choice and reduce the burden on employers when new employees start in a role.

This week the Government announced a series of proposed changes to health and safety laws. The changes are intended to clear up confusion, bring down the cost of compliance, and allow firms to focus on what matters most – keeping people safe. 

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says safe harbours of deemed compliance will be created to increase business and worker certainty about what they need to do to comply with their health and safety duties.

"From 1 April 2025, the adult minimum wage rate will increase from $23.15 to $23.50 per hour. The starting-out and training minimum wage rates will also increase from $18.52 to $18.80 per hour (80 per cent of the adult rate).

"New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.7 percent in the December 2024 quarter, following a 1.1 percent decrease in the September 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ on Friday