Are Kiwis pessimists? The most recent GDP figures took a hit recently - shrinking more than expected. Cost of living is up, August figures show grocery prices up more than four and half percent on the year previous. The unemployment rate was about 3.6% in June 2023 and is now 5.2%. Robert MacCulloch holds the Matthew S. Abel Chair of Macroeconomics at the University of Auckland and is regarded as a leading voice on "happiness economics". He spoke to Lisa Owen about whether all the stats are really getting us down.