Working from home (WFH) has become a standard option for many workers, and it has helped to reshape regional working and commuting trends. With three years of post-lockdown data now available on WFH trends, our analysis shows that WFH patterns have largely bedded in.

In July, the government moved to streamline regulations around standards for building materials. The changes effectively recognise several overseas standards for building products as being suitable for application in New Zealand, including standards from Australia, Canada, Europe, the UK, and the US.

This analysis was first published for Infometrics clients, and was then made publicly accessible following a request to republish by Interest.co.nz.

A few cold days in recent months prompted a question around what the usual temperature of a New Zealand home actually was, and if there was any data to use to answer this question. In short, how warm is the average home? Turns out the answer is 21.4°C.

The 2024 Infometrics Creativity Index shows a further unbeaten trend for the top spot, although the prominence of job opportunities in the creative sector has declined slightly in 2024 for some areas.

The recovery in international student enrolments is well underway. Here we unpack the uneven recovery to date and assess the likelihood of the Government’s target being met.

The pace of supplier cost increases to Foodstuffs supermarkets picked up slightly in August, with the Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) showing an average 2.3% increase in what suppliers charged in August 2025, compared to a year earlier.

The Reserve Bank’s August Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) included a shift in where the official cash rate (OCR) is expected to trough, with the Bank’s OCR projections now bottoming out at 2.55% in March 2026.

Key findings from the second annual Hunter Campbell Mood of the CFO Survey shows improved confidence among New Zealand finance leaders for company performance in the year ahead, although the level of uncertainty in the economy is heightened, and the vast majority of finance leaders expect to battle ongoing economic challenges.

At Infrastructure New Zealand’s Building Nations conference in early August, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop reportedly denied that the government had pulled back from infrastructure and building, deepening the construction downturn.