Best of Business

A Wellington fusion energy start-up’s getting a major boost, with fresh funding to build a next generation research facility.

The Government will lend up to $35 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to OpenStar Technologies to help develop its nuclear fusion machine, known as Tahi.

Fusion is the process which powers the sun, and the company's hoping to create a fusion power source that can be scaled up for commercial use.

O...

On the face of it, the unemployment figure out today is not good. It’s gone up, it's now sitting at 5.4 percent, a high we haven’t seen in almost 11 years. The last time we were anywhere near 5.4 percent was September 2015.

But actually, there is a recovery story here if you look under the hood.

We’ve added 15,000 jobs to the economy. More people want to work, too. As Infometrics points out, fewer people are sitting on the sideline...

Trade Me’s seeing a rush on gold and silver listings.

Searches for both metals have surged on the site - and are now the second and third fastest-rising terms over the past week.

Gold and silver hit record highs late last month, before dipping and then rallying again.

Trade Me spokesperson Millie Silvester says the spike could be driven by buyers looking to melt the metals down.

"Or maybe they're hoping that actually, this is the s...

An opinion piece in the Herald reckons Wellington's Cuba St has a rival for the title of the region's coolest strip.

Lifestyle writer Joanna Wane says Petone's Jackson St has Cuba St beaten out for restaurants, cafes, pubs and boutiques.

Hill's Hats owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy says there's plenty available for visitors - and there's something for everyone.

"There's virtually everything available, and it's pumping. It's great...there'...

A warning we've been burnt by high hopes for economic recovery. 

Stats NZ data out today puts unemployment at 5.4 percent in the December quarter. 

The numbers were less severe than forecasts from Treasury, but still reflect a 10 year unemployment high. 

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the talk about getting momentum back last year fell short.

"For businesses, they need to see stronger business s...

Unemployment's risen again to a ten-year high, with 165 thousand Kiwis currently out of work. 

Stats NZ data shows the unemployment rate was 5.4% in the December quarter, up from 5.3% in the September quarter. 

It's now the highest it's been since September 2015. 

The Herald's Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham while today's rise is small, it's also unexpected. 

He says there was some hope we had seen the peak of unem...

Following the launch of Australia's ban on social media for under-16s, there's been debate over whether New Zealand should follow this example.

Meta's Global Head of Safety, Antigone Davis, has labelled the full ban a 'fool's errand' and claims parental controls are the way to go.

Former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand Stephen Scheeler says parental controls are a safety feature that should be considered - but it won't s...

The head of a mineral extraction company says New Zealand's rich in some of these sought-after critical minerals. 

New Zealand and the United States are reportedly discussing a 'non-binding' framework relating to critical minerals as the US looks to reduce reliance on China. 

Geo40 CEO John Worth says there's silica, lithium and antimony to name a few. 

"I think we're relatively small by international standards, but ...

As more stores across Auckland's CBD close their doors for good, Crane Brothers has reaffirmed their commitment to the area.

After extending their High Street lease for another 25 years, founder Murray Crane recently revealed the store would expand into the space vacated by Ruby.

Crane says Covid and the subsequent economic downturn have been tough on Auckland, but it's important to control the narrative.

"We had ...

National and Labour are joining forces in support of legislation to tackle modern slavery. 

Their bipartisan backing means the Bill can be introduced in Parliament, bypassing the ballot system. 

The proposed law would require large companies to report their measures to avoid slavery conditions in supply chains, and fine those not complying or acting to mislead. 

National's Greg Fleming told Mike Hosking they’ve taken...

Simon Squibb has always been committed to encouraging people to fulfil their dreams, and as a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, he's in a position to make real change. 

He's invested in startups, used his professional insight to write a book - What’s Your Dream? Find Your Passion. Love Your Work. Build a Richer Life - and he's committed to inspiring people to take risks.

Squibb's in New Zealand and he's already been spotted...

Air New Zealand says it hopes to avoid a three-day strike by international cabin crew in February.

E tū Union and the Flight Attendants Association have issued strike notices for wide-body crews on 787 and 777 Boeing flights.

The airline's Chief People Officer, Nikki Dines, says they've covered a lot of ground in 10 months of weekly meetings with the unions.

"There's a lot of things that we've agreed on, the last remaining item is ...

2026 has been a rough year for New Zealand's construction sector, with multiple businesses going bust in January alone.

Reports show there were 22 applications to put building or property related companies into liquidation over the 7 days from January 20 to January 27.

NZ Certified Builders CEO Malcolm Fleming says this reflects the tough conditions that have impacted the market over the last two years.

"Any liquidation is a bad ne...

The Official Cash Rate is expected to rise this year, although forecasters say predicting when is tricky.

Inflation was stronger in the December quarter than expected, at 3.1 percent.

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen is picking a hike in November - with an outside possibility of one in May. 

He says other signs in the market signal a possible increase. 

"Actual bank rates for longer-term mortgages have already s...