Our take on the latest Employment indicators (Mon 30 Mar 2026)
Filled jobs
Filled jobs
Primary sector jobs
0.3%
0.0%1.6%In February (sa)
In January (sa)
In February (sa)
The key numbers...
- Filled job numbers rose 0.3% (7,146 jobs) between January and February 2026 (seasonally adjusted). The January result was revised down from a 0.2% rise to 0.0%. Filled jobs show little sign of a sustained pick-up, with no jobs growth (seasonally adjusted) in five of the past 12 months.
- Employment in the primary sector rose 1.6% (1,735 jobs) in February (seasonally adjusted) reversing a 1.5% decline the month before. Goods-producing sector jobs rose 0.1% (326) following two monthly declines. The service sector, which accounts for more than three-quarters of all jobs, saw job growth of 0.3% (5,024), but January’s result was revised down to 0.0%.
- Comparing February 2026 with February 2025, job growth picked up in several industries that have been adding jobs in recent months (agriculture, transport, public administration, education, health, and arts and recreation). The rate of job declines eased in several industries that have been shedding jobs (manufacturing, utilities, construction, wholesale, retail, rental and real estate, professional services, and administrative services).
- The South Island continues to outperform the North Island, with a 1.3%pa increase in filled jobs down south in February 2026 compared to a 0.3%pa decline up north. The West Coast (2.3%pa) and Southland (2.0%pa) were the fastest growing southern regions. Northland (-2.1%pa) saw the most notable decline in the North.
- Employment of young people continues to decline, with jobs filled by 30-year-olds and under down 2.4%pa in February 2026 – the 31st consecutive fall. Jobs filled by over-30s rose 0.6%pa – the seventh consecutive increase. Jobs filled by males fell 0.2%pa in February 2026 – the 22nd consecutive decrease. The number of jobs filled by women was unchanged.
...and our reaction
- Once again, there is little to celebrate in the filled jobs numbers, with the month-to-month rise in February being undercut by a downward revision of January’s result. December’s result was also revised downwards in last month’s release.
- However, comparing February 2026 with February 2025, there is room for some positivity. Industries that have been growing saw job growth strengthen, and those that have been in decline saw those declines soften.
- Stronger job growth in the South Island saw it pull further ahead of the North, although the rate of job decline did ease in the North. Young people continue to lose jobs.
- Any signs that the economy was starting to recover will most likely be put on hold until we know the full extent of the oil price shock. The immediate effects are being felt by consumers and businesses at the pump. The secondary effects on business overheads, and the extent to which they will be pushed through to consumer prices, will take longer to materialise.
- Under these conditions, any confidence employers were starting to feel to take on additional staff will most likely have been undermined.
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0.2% Filled jobs in January (seas. adj.)
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