Labor Market Bounces But Still Weak

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 29, 2026 · 1m

Job growth is ticking upward, adding 2,500 new positions between April and May—the fastest annual rise in over two years—but economists warn the data’s noisy and often revised. Healthcare, education, and public admin are holding strong, while manufacturing and professional services lag. Retail, wholesale, and construction may be nearing the end of their job losses, yet overall, the labor market’s still “bumping along the bottom,” unable to outpace population growth, keeping unemployment on the rise. Young workers under thirty continue to lose ground, pushing many toward alternative paths or…