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Standing strong in the face of danger

“Be strong. Be kind. We will be OK.” A rallying call from the Prime Minister accompanied the release of today’s economic support package by the Minister of Finance.

COVID-19 OCR rate cut futile

What can be done to help our economy and families weather the impact of COVID-19? Here's why an OCR cut would be window dressing at best.

Banks putting their eggs in one basket

Diversification used to be the key to every investment portfolio. Banks are increasingly putting their eggs in one basket.

Jobs data a cause for concern

It seems very probable that the rate of growth in the New Zealand economy will decrease as a result of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

Climate tipping point in business?

In his annual letter, BlackRock Chair and CEO Larry Fink shot climate change to the top of the investment risk calculation.

Modern slavery and migrant labour exploitation

Labour exploitation is a complex problem requiring a systematic solution.

Robots and us: Kinley Salmon, live in Wellington

An alternative view on the future of the New Zealand workforce at this year's New Zealand Festival of the Arts.

State of the Nation a mixed bag

Seven indicators improving, six worsening, eleven sideways. Indicates a mixed bag for the latest State of the Nation from The Salvation Army.

Shopping as popular as ever

Even in the face of climate change, consumerism shows no signs of slowing. In 2019 there was a total of 1.9 billion electronic card transactions, worth $94 billion.

Net migration heavily revised down

Miscounting migrants? On 23 January almost a quarter of New Zealand’s estimated annual net migration vanished.  

Māori workforce grows 50 percent in five years

The 2018 Census reveals rapid growth in the Māori population - or does it? We investigate a bit deeper into the numbers.

Deprivation Index 2018

The deprivation index has now been updated using the 2018 Census. What can it tell us about living in New Zealand?

Vacancy for Senior Economist/Researcher

We are looking for a strong senior professional to manage and lead teams and contribute to tackling the challenges our clients face.

Data tool gives new insight

A new experimental tool from Statistics New Zealand might enable anyone to view and analyse nationwide data.

Pacific economy has rising importance

A Treasury report which BERL is proud to have contributed to was featured in a recent episode of the RNZ Podcast “Two cents worth”.

Census 2018: Mistakes must not be repeated

For the 2018 Census the overall response rate was 83.3 percent, compared to 92.2 percent for the 2013 Census, a serious decline in the overall response rate.

The future of the public health system

What is meant by health? Perhaps what we have now is a disease and illness response system.

Save the world – buy a TV

The global economic outlook is increasingly bleak, nothing a new TV can’t fix. Is it your civic duty to boost demand?

Part-time work? No thanks.

It might be supposed that part time employment is increasing more rapidly than full time employment, but is it?

School alarm issues all too familiar

The experience of Cashmere High highlights the high stakes and contrasting incentives we found during research into false fire alarms in New Zealand.

National topic counts from Census 2018 released

Census 2018 shows national home ownership rates unchanged, though 22 percent of dwellings have a dampness issue.

When did economics forget the opportunity cost?

People think of cost and value as interchangeable. Economics considers the opportunity cost, the alternative decision not choosen. Did we forget it has value too? 

First data from 2018 Census released

After much delay, the first population counts from the 2018 Census were released today.

Increase in people holding multiple jobs

Having a second job is an increasingly significant feature of the New Zealand labour market.

Making the best use of the 2018 Census

Data overload can prevent us from realising the real insights. How can we make sure to see the wood from the trees of the new census?

High disability employment gap

Latest statistics show people with disabilities continue to be more likely to be unemployed and underutilised.
climate change

Natural capital is fundamental to an economy. Yeah right.

IPCC’s Climate Change and Land report found that land is a critical resource, stating that “land provides the principle basis for human livelihoods and well-being.”
housing

Solving the housing crisis

The KiwiBuild reset was announced this week as a solution to the housing crisis, meanwhile, the Reserve Bank is battling to keep house prices up.

New Zealand’s criminal justice system fails New Zealanders

Under a true wellbeings approach the criminal justice system will require significant transformation.

Unemployment falls while wages increase

Some good news for workers as the unemployment rate continues to fall and wages appear to be rising faster than the rate of inflation.