NZCTU president Sandra Grey says StatsNZ figures show consumer prices rose 3.7% in the year to the September quarter, with petrol up 19.1% and household energy up 9.4%. Food prices rose 2.1% annually and 7.6% over three years, with bread up 17.3%, milk 27.9%, and beef and lamb more than 30% since September 2023. The union says 31% of households are food insecure and that three years of real minimum wage cuts have left full-time workers more than $2,000 a year worse off. It also cites unemployment at 5.6% and underutilisation at 13.8%, and warns that the recent fuel price surge will push inflation back up in the December quarter and that Reserve Bank rate rises will hurt struggling households.
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inflationcost of livingNew Zealandunemployment
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Related tickers and likely impact
NZD/USD
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/21/2026 | 0.57007 |
| Change that session | +0.29% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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