NZ is no Greece or Italy, but needs to face up to long term issues - NZIER Insight 41
March 22, 2013
Like much of the world, New Zealand's economy is still feeling the lingering consequences of the global financial crisis and the hang-over of its own asset price bubble. The economy is recovering slowly. In the last few years, households have spent cautiously and paid down mortgages. … Read more
Golden years? The impacts of New Zealand's ageing on wages, interest rates, wealth and macroeconomy
March 1, 2013
New Zealand is ageing. The number of old people will increase three-fold and will soon comprise a very large segment of society. Ageing will shrink the labour supply relative to the size of the population and the existing supply of capital. That has implications for wages and interest … Read more
The host with the most? Rethinking the costs and benefits of hosting major events - NZIER Insight 40
October 30, 2012
Hosting large events like the Rugby World Cup are expensive undertakings. That makes value-for-money evaluation critical. But most impact event analysis doesn't stack up, missing displacement effects. It means benefits are often far smaller than people think. Read more
Economic assessment of Chatham Rock Phosphate : input to environmental impact assessment
September 10, 2012
Chatham Rock Phosphate is investigating a phosphate-mining project (the CRP project). NZIER have been asked to analyse the impacts of the CRP project on the New Zealand economy. This report documents an investigation of the economy-wide, monetary costs and benefits, with further consi … Read more
Use macro-prudential tools to improve inflation targeting - NZIER Insight 39
September 6, 2012
Before Graeme Wheeler starts his new job as Governor of the Reserve Bank, he must sign a new Policy Targets Agreement (PTA) that sets the goalposts for monetary policy. This is an opportunity to introduce macro-prudential tools to help ease the exchange rate impact of inflation target … Read more
Regional economic integration : more than one way to skin a cat - NZIER Insight 38
August 2, 2012
Recent angst about trade agreements challenging domestic regulatory power distracts from an undeniable truth: the international implications of domestic regulatory settings have never been more important for New Zealand businesses. Rather than fighting it, New Zealand policymakers and … Read more
Demographic change a force that firms ignore at their peril - NZIER Insight 37
July 18, 2012
New Zealand's population is ageing – confronting firms to respond to the opportunities an ageing population brings. The most successful firms will need to have a clear understanding of the impacts of demographic change on not just consumer demand, but also the supply side of business. … Read more
Commit to quit : control the devil in your future -NZIER Insight 35
May 18, 2012
Breaking an addiction is difficult: only about 3% of smokers who go cold turkey manage to successfully quit. New research by behavioural economists shows that getting people to make a financial bet on their success could lift those rates by over half again. Economists at NZIER think i … Read more
Canterbury after the earthquakes : April 2012 update - NZIER Insight 34
April 18, 2012
The Canterbury earthquakes have disrupted lives and the economy. This Insight brings together key economic indicators to provide a second snapshot of the economic disruption. We find encouraging signs of stabilisation. Read more
Seven years lost - NZIER Insight 33
March 14, 2012
Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (In search of lost time) inspired the Proust index in The Economist newspaper of 25 February 2012. The Economist looked across a number of economic measures to see how far back countries have slipped since the global economic crisis. We replicate … Read more