Total gross earnings for the March 2024 year rose by 8.6% ($13.8 billion) compared with the previous year, according to Stats NZ. The total gross earnings for the March 2024 year reached $174 billion, up from $160 billion in the year prior.
At the regional level, all regions saw an increase in total gross earnings when compared with the previous year. The regions with the largest movements by percentage change in the year ended March 2024 were:
Marlborough, up 10% ($165 million)
Otago, up 10% ($709 million)
Northland, up 8.9% ($408 million)
Waikato, up 8.9% ($1.3 billion)
Auckland region had the largest increase in earnings over the year to March 2024, up to $64.9 billion from $59.6 billion in the March 2023 year.
Stats NZ also reported a modest increase in filled jobs, which rose by 0.3% (7,346 jobs) between the December 2023 and March 2024 quarters after adjusting for seasonal effects.
At an industry level, the largest changes in seasonally adjusted filled jobs compared with the December 2023 quarter were in:
Public administration and safety – down 2.5% (4,247 jobs)
Health care and social assistance – up 0.8% (2,092 jobs)
Education and training – up 0.9% (1,771 jobs)
Accommodation and food services – up 0.9% (1,425 jobs)