Unemployment rate during each mayor's tenure
8 mayors, ranked by how the unemployment rate changed from their first day in office, next to New Zealand over the same months. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Mayor | City | In office | Total | vs NZ | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N John Banks | Auckland | 1 Nov 2007 – 1 Nov 2010 | +3.4 pp 2007 → 2010 | +0.9 pp NZ +2.5 pp | +1.1 pp/yr | |
| 2 | N Bob Parker | Christchurch | 13 Oct 2007 – 24 Oct 2013 | +1.4 pp 2007 → 2013 | −0.8 pp NZ +2.2 pp | +0.2 pp/yr | |
| 3 | N Kerry Prendergast | Wellington | 27 Oct 2001 – 27 Oct 2010 | +1.0 pp 2001 → 2010 | +0.3 pp NZ +0.7 pp | +0.1 pp/yr | |
| 4 | N Celia Wade-Brown | Wellington | 27 Oct 2010 – 10 Oct 2016 | +0.4 pp 2010 → 2016 | +1.5 pp NZ −1.1 pp | +0.1 pp/yr | |
| 5 | N Dick Hubbard | Auckland | 31 Oct 2004 – 1 Nov 2007 | 0.0 pp 2004 → 2007 | +0.3 pp NZ −0.3 pp | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 6 | N Lianne Dalziel | Christchurch | 24 Oct 2013 – 8 Oct 2022 | −1.1 pp 2013 → 2022 | +1.4 pp NZ −2.5 pp | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 7 | N Andy Foster | Wellington | 19 Oct 2019 – 15 Oct 2022 | −1.2 pp 2019 → 2022 | −0.4 pp NZ −0.8 pp | −0.4 pp/yr | |
| 8 | N John Banks | Auckland | 1 Nov 2001 – 31 Oct 2004 | −1.4 pp 2001 → 2004 | +0.1 pp NZ −1.5 pp | −0.5 pp/yr | |
| 9 | N Len Brown | Auckland | 1 Nov 2010 – 15 Oct 2016 | −1.8 pp 2010 → 2016 | −0.7 pp NZ −1.1 pp | −0.3 pp/yr | |
| 10 |  Justin Lester | Wellington | 10 Oct 2016 – 19 Oct 2019 | −1.8 pp 2016 → 2019 | −0.9 pp NZ −0.9 pp | −0.6 pp/yr |
Showing 10 of 11 tenures.
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); New Zealand is measured over the same months. Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of labour force · Stats NZ Household Labour Force Survey via the OECD metropolitan database (functional urban area), 15–64, annual, calendar years dated at mid-year · metropolitan area (functional urban area) data · as of Jul 2025.