Resources & insights
Reports, guides and honest takes on the NZ job market. Made by humans who actually do this for a living.
guideA practical guide to independent contracting in NZ, covering how contractor agreements work, what tax and ACC obligations sit with you, how leave and timesheets differ from permanent work, and why contracting suits some people better.
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guideA practical guide for candidates in a crowded job market: where to focus your applications, how to check your expectations, and where demand still exists.
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guideA practical guide for candidates on getting past AI screening tools, covering how to mirror the language in a job ad, format a CV that parses cleanly, and put your strongest evidence where the system will actually read it.
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reportQ1 started with a sense of real momentum. After a tough couple of years, there was genuine optimism across the market. Budgets were loosening, transformation programmes were being dusted off, and hiring activity was beginning to follow. It felt like 2026 might finally be the year things opened up again.
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Most 2027 headcount plans assume things loosen up once the Reserve Bank moves. That assumption shifted in July. Nine questions to test yours.
Unemployment is at its highest since 2015 and the Reserve Bank raised rates anyway. What mid-2026 actually means if you are hiring or job hunting.
The contractor gateway test came into force in February. Six months on, clients have barely noticed and panels aren't aware it exists. The pushback has come from an unexpected direction: contractors themselves.
Q4 is bookended by the RBNZ's 2 September OCR call and the December shutdown. Here's the realistic timeline for getting a contractor in seat before both hit.
Youth unemployment sits at 25.3 percent while AI quietly absorbs entry-level tech work. Freeze graduate hiring now and the mid-level bench runs dry by 2029.
Seek data shows job ads in Legal, Accounting and Professional Services still rising year on year. Here's what's actually moving, and what isn't, in accounting hiring right now.