New Zealand businesses are running on fumes, with cash reserves dwindling amid surging fuel prices and KiwiSaver costs... all while the full shockwave hasn't fully hit yet.

Economist and publisher of The Kākā, Bernard Hickey, joins us to explain why the fuel crisis reality is only dawning, the supply chain pain ahead, and what it means for New Zealand's economy.

He also answers the question we've all been asking ... what does Wylie Coyote have to do with any of this?

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Simpson Grierson's Coporate Partner Anastasiya Gamble on how the Modern Slavery Bill will impact businesses

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Former trade commissioner to Singapore Ziena Jalil says the Singapore trade deal has been in the works for a long time

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Kiwis struggling to find work aren't alone in it.

Stats NZ data due out this morning is expected to show unemployment's remained steady or risen slightly in the first three months of this year.

It was already at a near-decade high in the previous quarter.

ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking the jobs being created don't seem to be keeping pace with the number of people moving to New Zealand.

He says they're expecting a marginal lift in jobs, but migration's also picking up.

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Garth Bray joins the show with the latest in business thanks to Forsyth Barr

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We're spending more on fuel, crowding out most other areas.

ANZ card data from April shows spending at the pump jumped 0.9% on top of March's 20% hike shortly after the Iran war began.

Spending on retail, public transport, car dealerships, and the normally recession-proof health and beauty sector all took a hit.

There was an unusually large drop at supermarkets too – 1.4%.

First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Mike Hosking they've seen a decisive shift in how we grocery shop.

He says people are opting for different brands and being smart with their money.

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Finding a job remains tough, and the surge in fuel prices could make it even tougher.

Stats NZ is confirming the unemployment rate for the March quarter this morning.

BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones shares his thoughts with Ryan.

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New Zealand’s unemployment rate is expected to hold steady - at least on paper - when new data is released this week.

But beneath that headline number, economists are warning the labour market may already be weakening, just as global tensions and an oil shock begin to bite.

There are also growing concerns about something called ‘stagflation’... where higher unemployment and rising inflation collide... and what that could mean for households and the wider economy.

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann is with us to unpack what to look for in the latest data, what it really tells us about the state of the economy, and what could come next.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

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