New Zealand Retail Sales Up 0.5% QoQ, 2.3% YoY in Q2 2025; July Jobs Rise 0.2% from 0.1%

New Zealand's retail sales excluding inflation rose by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of 2025, surpassing forecasts of a 0.3% decline and improving on the previous quarter's 0.8% increase. On a year-on-year basis, retail sales increased by 2.3%, up from 0.7% previously. Additionally, employment data showed a modest rise in filled jobs in July 2025, increasing by 0.2% month-on-month compared to 0.1% in the prior month. These figures indicate steady growth in New Zealand's retail sector and a slight improvement in the labor market during mid-2025.