NZIER Consensus Forecasts show weaker near-term outlook
December 13, 2021
The latest NZIER Consensus Forecasts show a downward revision to the near-term outlook for the New Zealand economy. This largely reflects the expected impact of restrictions to contain the latest COVID-19 community outbreak, which turned out to persist for longer than initially expect … Read more
2021 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister
November 24, 2021
Today the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research Incorporated (NZIER) has released its 2021 Summer Reading List for the Prime Minister. Read more
Intense inflation pressures drive calls for higher interest rates
November 22, 2021
The Shadow Board is overwhelmingly calling for a tightening in monetary policy, primarily through higher interest rates. However, this view was not unanimous, with Shadow Board members in the business community who were more cautious about further tightening at the upcoming meeting. T … Read more
Declining maths scores is a problem for the New Zealand economy - NZIER Insight 98 & 99
November 16, 2021
New Zealand’s school maths scores are declining. A solution put forward the Royal Society expert panel commissioned to investigate our poor maths performance is an increase in specialist maths skills in the teaching profession. Although the education sector could increase teacher skil … Read more
The trade implications of Mr Biden for New Zealand - NZIER Insight 97
November 9, 2021
Or what does the Chinese Century mean for New Zealand? The United States has structured world trade over the past 70 years in a way that has been positive for New Zealand. Now that the United States has relinquished its lead trading position, how will Mr Biden behave on trade policy? … Read more
The tale of Goldilocks and the three fears (about the minimum wage) - Insight 96
October 6, 2021
The minimum wage is a ‘Goldilocks’ policy: not too high, not too low. A political consensus on the role and appropriate level of the minimum wage is both possible and desirable. Read more
Lockdown divides Shadow Board’s views on tightening
October 4, 2021
The Shadow Board has become divided over its views on what should happen with monetary policy at the October Monetary Policy Review. This is due to the ongoing lockdown in Auckland to contain the COVID-19 community outbreak and heightened uncertainty over the economic outlook. Read more
NZIER Consensus Forecasts show mixed outlook as uncertainty over the impact of latest COVID-19 community outbreak looms
September 13, 2021
The latest NZIER Consensus Forecasts show a downward revision to the near-term outlook for the New Zealand economy but an upward revision for the subsequent year. The latest community outbreak of COVID-19 is likely to have driven these revisions, as the recent lockdown reduces economi … Read more
NZIER’s Shadow Board calls for tightening at the upcoming meeting
August 16, 2021
The Shadow Board overwhelmingly calls for a tightening in monetary policy at the August Monetary Policy Statement, with many noting an OCR increase would be appropriate. That said, there remained a wide range of views amongst the Shadow Board. Recent developments point to a rise in in … Read more
Manaakitanga in the age of COVID
August 5, 2021
Thousands of short-term migrants are trapped in New Zealand due to COVID-19. A series of ad hoc extensions to their visas have allowed them to stay. The Government should apply principles of manaakitanga – hospitality, kindness, generosity, support – and issue these people with a one- … Read more