I hope life is treating you well.
I thought I’d give you an update on the recruitment market in New Zealand at the moment.
The main feeling from recruiters across the country is that the market is very tough at the moment. After a post-covid record 2023 for recruitment agencies, employers are definitely keeping their hands in their pockets in 2024 and the trend is expected to continue for at least the next 6 months or so.
The economy is currently in recession and with interest rates running high at around 6.5%, employers are somewhat reluctant to spend on new projects and make new hires. Wellington has been hit with a recent round of government redundancies and supporting industries have also been affected.
It’s not all bad news, however. Many industries, particularly in the higher-level skills shortage areas are still open to recruiting and accepting overseas workers, albeit at a slower pace. The visa changes that have been brought in by the new government are mainly affecting lower skilled workers and higher skill level people are mostly unaffected.
We have seen cycles like this many times before and we know that after a lull comes a boom. If you’re making plans to come down to New Zealand, please make very sure you don’t make any big decisions or take actions that are dependent on you getting a job offer unless you have the financial and other means to support yourself.
All of our recruitment consultants are still actively talking to employers, and we know that when things pick up, we will be the first in line.
In the meantime, please find below a Youtube video produced by Sir Peter Jackson to promote New Zealand. Enjoy!