Brad Olsen
Migration still at record levels but signs of slowdown
Migrant arrivals and departures have hit record levels in the past year, but the monthly gain is slowing. Stats NZ says there was a net gain of 5-thousand-300 migrants in January, the lowest since… Audio
Inflation slowed to lowest levels in 2 years
Hold onto your wallets, It's official, inflation is deflating. The latest figures show it's slowed to its lowest levels in two years. Consumer prices rose just half a percent in the three months to… Video, Audio
Coalition talks cast uncertainty over National's foreign buyers tax
The incoming Prime Minister maintains his government will reduce taxes, but Christopher Luxon has been less willing to stand by the overseas home buyers policy that's meant to fund it. National's… Video, Audio
Informetric's Brad Olsen on NZ's financial system resilience
Time now to talk business! And there's a big report coming out today from the Reseve Bank - about New Zealand's financial system resilience. The RBNZ says we compare well with other advanced… Audio
Labour says next few Budgets will be tight as it releases fiscal plan
Labour has released its much-anticipated fiscal plan laying out the costs of its election promises, calling it responsible, balanced and credible.
The party's finance spokesperson Grant Robertson… Audio
Drop in building consents could disrupt economy says economist
A leading economist says a drop in future building consents could disrupt the country's economic momentum.
A new quarterly economic report from Infometrics shows increased economic activity, and a… Audio
Food prices continue to rise
The cost of food is still rocketing up, but not as much as it has been in the past.
That's according to Infometrics' latest crunching of supermarket data for July showing their costs are up about… Audio
Relief may be on the way for supermarket shoppers
Grocery prices may finally be reaching a turning point according to the latest numbers from Infometrics.
The New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index, commissioned by Foodstuffs, shows an increase of… Audio
Rate hike expected - households already in "world of pain"
Economists are united in the view that interest rates will be hiked again today by the Reserve Bank as it continues to battle inflation. David Cunningham is CEO of mortgage broker Squirrel. He says… Audio
Has the OCR peaked?
This coming Wednesday the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) will be having its latest review of the Official Cash Rate (OCR). Will there be surprises? Brad Olsen, Chief Executive and Principal Economist at… Audio
Groups seek more support for the vulnerable in the Budget
Anti-poverty campaigners are hoping for tangible support for vulnerable people in today's so-called "no frills" Budget. They are focussed on what the government has up its sleeve to ease the cost of… Audio
Early recession 'narrowly' avoided - economist
The economic consultancy Infometrics says New Zealand narrowly avoided a recession in the first fews months of the year with the economy growth at just 2.7 percent. But the bad weather took its toll… Audio
Food price inflation at its highest level in 36 years
Food price inflation is at its highest level in 36 years.
Stats NZ's food price index rose 12.5 percent in the year ended April - the highest annual rate since late 1987.
The main drivers were a 14… Audio
Economic downturn 'not going to be an easy ride' - Brad Olsen
Worry is mounting the economy's heading for a harsh landing.
Last year, amid stubbornly rising inflation the Reserve Bank told us it was engineering a minor recession through swift official cash rate… Audio
Supplier costs increase supermarket prices - economist
Feeling like you're getting less bang for your buck when getting groceries? It might be because the cost from suppliers to supermarkets keeps going up in products with dairy products, frozen… Audio
The price of food hikes again
The cost of food continues to skyrocket as the latest data shows a 12 percent increase on February last year.
Stats NZ says this is the biggest annual hike since September 1989.
It comes as the New… Audio
Economist labels fuel tax U-turn 'dumb economic policy'
The government has hit the brakes and made a massive U-turn on its decision to put an end to the fuel tax subsidy and half price public transport.
With people feeling the pinch of the cost of living… Audio
Cost of grocery supplies up in December 2022
Supermarkets are being forced to pay much more to stock their shelves, with the cost of grocery supplies up 10.6% in December compared to the previous year. The latest data comes from the… Audio
Cost of grocery supplies up in December 2022
Supermarkets are being forced to pay much more to stock their shelves, with the cost of grocery supplies up 10.6% in December compared to the previous year.
The latest data comes from the… Audio