The data to the weekend show Alert Level 3 was an improvement. Businesses are less pessimistic. Job postings on Trade Me recovered from 40% of normal to 60% of normal. More are also searching jobs. Views of job ads on Trade Me are at 85% of normal, compared to 45% during the lockdown.

The full dashboard is here.

NZ and Australia have followed similar successes in arresting the spread of Covid-19. But the health system was less prepared in New Zealand and the control measures stricter. The economic impact so far has been mixed. The true cost will take months to unfold.

Spending has been harder hit in NZ: Retail spending in Australia had fallen 20% at the worst point so far (CBA) compared to around 50% in NZ (Treasury Dashboard).
Job losses have been much bigger in Australia (The Guardian) than in NZ to date. USA has also had more job losses, which hires and fires more easily.

Source: MSD, Federal Reserve of St. Louis, DSS, The Guardian