21/08/2026
Unemployment statistics are the worst this country has seen in 11 years and Te Tai Tokerau is significantly worst off.
Labour MP Willow Jean Prime says,“It is the highest it has been in 11 years under this government. It's 5.6%. But in Te Tai Tokerau it is 8.8%, the highest in the country.”
Statistics NZ’s report on Labour market statistics: June 2026 quarter shows, there are currently 171,000 people who are unemployed across the country, that is about 8,000 more than the previous quarter and the highest unemployment rate since 2015.
Māori unemployment is at 10.8 per cent, almost double the rate nationally, while Pacific unemployment stands at 11.6 per cent. For taiohi between the age of 15 to 24 years, the unemployment rate is 13.8%.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the government is focused on boosting the economy and building business confidence. She says that is why the government is backing tourism and international education, fast-tracking and infrastructure.
"April, May and June were difficult months for many employers. They faced real uncertainty and rising costs, and a lot of them made the hard call to hold off on hiring or expanding. Today's data, showing unemployment at 5.6 per cent, reflects that. For the New Zealanders who've been out there looking for work in that environment, we know it's been hard going.”
Labour spokesperson for Social Development & Employment Willow-Jean Prime says the unemployment rate is shocking, "When we look at our young people across New Zealand there are hundreds, thousands of young people who are not in education, training or employment.”
“Our rangatahi want to work but there are no jobs and opportunities for them into mahi”.
She says Labour’s Apprenticeship Boost Policy will increase the apprenticeship opportunities for young people and those who choose to retrain cos they might've lost their mahi at the mill across Tai Tokerau.
The opposition aren’t the only ones with plans to turn the statistics around, iwi in Te Hiku o Te Ika are working to ensure their uri don’t have to leave their kāinga to find work.
Earlier this month one of Juken New Zealand (JNL) Mill in Kaitāia was closed. The mill employed around 60 people. Some have secured jobs at another nearby mill, others are to be redeployed to other roles in the organisation. Around 44 employees are retiring or seeking new jobs.
Carol Berghan, CEO of Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi Development Trust says, the iwi have installed about 600 water tanks to support the health needs of the area and to ensure work for locals.
Te Rarawa has run a trial to scope the possibility of bringing the horticulture growers of the region together to explore becoming a group employer for the high number of unemployed.
Berghan says, “Iwi are becoming a very, very, very big player in the Hiku region. If we look at where they've come from 10, 12 years ago to where they are now. Te Aupōuri has also won the New Zealand infrastructure social outcome awards, Berghan says, “that just didn't magically appear.”
“That was through really hard work, co-design, planning, leveraging with those other agencies to think and look differently, how to do things in Te Hiku.”
She also says that while she believes many want to work alongside iwi to reduce the number of unemployed and to do a good job by whānau, the reality of being part of isolated communities means iwi will always step up.
“We are at the end of the line. We're worse than rural. We're at the end of the line. No one is coming to save Te Hiku.”
The iwi of Te Hiku will meet with the Ministry of Social Development to find employment opportunities for those affected by the Mill closure.
