Employment rate, 15–64 during each prime minister's tenure
Every prime minister since 1991, ranked by how the employment rate, 15–64 changed from their first day in office. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Prime minister | In office | Total | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Helen Clark | 10 Dec 1999 – 19 Nov 2008 | +5.2 pp Q3 1999 → Q3 2008 | +0.6 pp/yr | |
| 2 |  Jim Bolger | 2 Nov 1990 – 8 Dec 1997 from Q1 1991 | +4.2 pp Q1 1991 → Q3 1997 | +0.6 pp/yr | |
| 3 | Jacinda Ardern | 26 Oct 2017 – 25 Jan 2023 | +3.0 pp Q3 2017 → Q4 2022 | +0.6 pp/yr | |
| 4 | Bill English | 12 Dec 2016 – 26 Oct 2017 | +1.4 pp Q3 2016 → Q3 2017 | +1.4 pp/yr | |
| 5 | John Key | 19 Nov 2008 – 12 Dec 2016 | +1.0 pp Q3 2008 → Q3 2016 | +0.1 pp/yr | |
| 6 | Jenny Shipley | 8 Dec 1997 – 10 Dec 1999 | −0.6 pp Q3 1997 → Q3 1999 | −0.3 pp/yr | |
| 7 | Christopher Luxon | 27 Nov 2023 – now | −3.1 pp Q3 2023 → Q3 2026 | −1.0 pp/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last quarter complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that period had no data, or because the period cut it); 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 the population aged 15–64 · Stats NZ labour force survey via the OECD (infra-annual labour statistics), seasonally adjusted · New Zealand data · as of Jul 2026.