Making public servants return to the office is no panacea

Making public servants return to the office is no panacea
Wellington City's economic woes stem from a lot more than the working-from-home trend. (Image: Getty)
Cameron Bagrie
Will more active encouragement of public servants to return to the office, or fewer central government layoffs (which are being driven by demands for savings), turn the dial on the Wellington economy? It may help at the margin but it’s no panacea. Wellington underperforms under a blue government and does better under a red one. Being hooked into the political cycle is a flawed economic model that offers no substance.Wellingtonians are well paid compared to the national average and other regions. Median household income figures from S...

More Economy

Westpac adds another rate cut to its forecasts
Economy

Westpac adds another rate cut to its forecasts

Westpac Bank now expects the official cash rate (OCR) to trough at 3% and has pushed back the timing of its forecast tightening cycle.“Downside risks from global growth suggest the RBNZ [Reserve Bank of New Zealand] may continue easing beyond May,” chief economist Kelly Eckhold s...

Rebecca Howard 09 May 2025
Rams Logistics owed $3.2m to IRD
Economy

Rams Logistics owed $3.2m to IRD

About 50 employees are owed approximately $760,000, the liquidators said.

Gregor Thompson 08 May 2025
Paul Bloxham: NZ's growth to stem worker outflow to Australia
Economy

Paul Bloxham: NZ's growth to stem worker outflow to Australia

HSBC's chief economist says NZ will benefit from Chinese economic pivot.

Capital requirements review doesn't mean they are too high
Economy

Capital requirements review doesn't mean they are too high

The Reserve Bank of NZ is not committed to any one particular outcome. 

Rebecca Howard 07 May 2025