New Zealand's unemployment rate rose to 5.7% in the third quarter of 2026, its highest since 2015, with 174,000 people unemployed, while employment fell by about 4,000 from the previous quarter. Wage growth slowed to 2% from 2.1%, while inflation was 3.7%, above the central bank's 1–3% target range. The central bank held its official cash rate at 2.75% after two earlier hikes, saying it needs time to assess their impact, though further hikes remain possible. Nearly 75,000 people left New Zealand last year, 58% of them for Australia, where GDP per capita is about USD 64,400 compared with about USD 48,000 in New Zealand.
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Original headline: Quốc gia tuyệt vời nhất thế giới: Kỷ lục 174.000 người thất nghiệp, lạm phát cao, lương tăng siêu chậm, 75.000 người chán ngán rời đất nước chỉ trong một năm
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