Kiwi dollar takes a dive: what it means for NZ and for you

Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr. Photo / File

The kiwi dollar is trading at the lowest point since the start of 2016, buying US64.66c late on Friday.

However, the kiwi may now stay above US64c in the near term after employment and wage data out of the United States was slightly off the boil.

Official data out of the United States showed that the country's employers hired 134,000 more staff in September than the month before. That was the slowest rate of hiring growth in a year and below Wall Street expectations of 168,000 new jobs.

US wages also rose a slightly slower rate than in August.

The kiwi dollar has fallen around 2.3 per cent this week against the greenback, as currency traders anticipate the US Federal Reserve to continue to hike interest rates.

What does it mean for you?

Kiwis going on overseas holidays will find the trip more expensive as their money stretches less.

The Kiwi dollar was buying US73.85c in April and has dropped 12.5 per cent since then.

In simple terms, that means your dinner out in San Franciso or New York is 12.5 per cent more expensive than it would have been just a few months ago.

That holiday overseas is much more expensive than a few months ago. Photo / Getty.

New Zealand shoppers buying goods online sold in US dollars will also feel the pinch.

Suddenly that book from Amazon isn't quite the bargain you may have thought it was.

What does it mean for NZ?

Although a falling dollar does make importing goods more expensive, it also means that Kiwi products are more competitive internationally.

That means our exports (such as dairy) are more attractive to overseas buyers - giving our businesses who shop goods overseas a leg up.

A lower dollar also means that New Zealand is a more attractive destination for tourists who see their money stretch further than it otherwise would have. And tourism is a big deal for New Zealand and is our biggest foreign exchange earner.

A lower dollar will make New Zealand more attractive for overseas tourists. Photo / supplied.