Stagflation warning: Why a flat unemployment rate may still spell trouble ahead episode artwork

EPISODE · May 4, 2026 · 21 MIN

Stagflation warning: Why a flat unemployment rate may still spell trouble ahead

from The Front Page · host NZ Herald

New Zealand’s unemployment rate is expected to hold steady - at least on paper - when new data is released this week.  But beneath that headline number, economists are warning the labour market may already be weakening, just as global tensions and an oil shock begin to bite.  There are also growing concerns about something called ‘stagflation’... where higher unemployment and rising inflation collide... and what that could mean for households and the wider economy.  Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann is with us to unpack what to look for in the latest data, what it really tells us about the state of the economy, and what could come next. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Stagflation warning: Why a flat unemployment rate may still spell trouble ahead

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This episode was published on May 4, 2026.

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New Zealand’s unemployment rate is expected to hold steady - at least on paper - when new data is released this week.  But beneath that headline number, economists are warning the labour market may already be weakening, just as global tensions and...

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