Updated
Updated · Action Forex · Sep 14
New Zealand Services PSI Hits 51.2, Highest Since 2023 as Orders Rise to 55.2
Updated
Updated · Action Forex · Sep 14

New Zealand Services PSI Hits 51.2, Highest Since 2023 as Orders Rise to 55.2

3 articles · Updated · Action Forex · Sep 14

Summary

  • New Zealand’s BNZ–BusinessNZ services PSI rose to 51.2 in August from 50.6, marking a third straight month of expansion and its strongest reading since September 2023.
  • New orders drove the gain, climbing to 55.2 from 52.8, while the three-month average improved to 50.9 — its highest since July 2023.
  • The recovery remained narrow: activity/sales slipped back into contraction at 49.4, employment improved to 49.4 but stayed below 50, and only two of five sub-indexes were in expansion.
  • Negative sentiment still dominated 60.8% of comments, with businesses citing living costs, interest rates and election uncertainty, underscoring that stronger orders have not yet translated into broader activity and hiring.

Insights

Why are New Zealand businesses drowning in negative sentiment despite a three-month streak of rising service sector orders?
With regional job ads surging, are major cities permanently losing their grip as New Zealand's economic powerhouses?
Could the booming fast-food delivery market be masking a deeper crisis in New Zealand's traditional services sector?