Employment indicators

Let’s hear it for the South

28 Apr 2026

Rob Heyes

Our take on the latest Employment indicators (Tue 28 Apr 2026)

Filled jobs

South Island jobs

0.3%

0.2%

1.5%pa

In March (sa)

In February (sa)

In March

The key numbers...

Filled job numbers rose 0.3% (5,983 jobs) between February and March 2026 (seasonally adjusted). The February result was revised down from a 0.3% rise to 0.2% growth. This is the second consecutive month that filled jobs have risen - the first time that consecutive increases have occurred since October 2023.
Employment in the primary sector rose 0.6% (641 jobs) in March (seasonally adjusted) following a 1.5% rise the month before. Goods-producing sector jobs edged up 0.1% (589), the same as the month before. The service sector, which accounts for more than three-quarters of all jobs, saw job growth of 0.3% (4,613), with February’s result for the sector revised down to 0.2% growth.
Comparing March 2026 with March 2025, job growth strengthened in agriculture, mining, transport, public administration, education, and healthcare. The rate of job declines continued to ease in several industries that have been shedding jobs: manufacturing, utilities, construction, wholesale, hospitality, media and telecommunications, professional services, and other services. Retail jobs grew 0.1% between March 2025 and March 2026, the first annual increase since November 2023.
The South Island continues to outperform the North Island, with a 1.5%pa increase in filled jobs between March 2025 and March 2026 in the South. North Island job numbers were unchanged between March 2025 and March 2026, which is an encouraging result following 21 months of declines. The North Island was helped by job declines ceasing in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay. Down South, the West Coast (2.5%pa) and Southland (2.1%pa) continue to perform well.
Employment of young people continues to decline, with jobs filled by 30-year-olds and under down 1.8%pa in March 2026 compared with March 2025 – the 32nd consecutive fall. Jobs filled by over-30s rose 0.9%pa – the eighth consecutive increase. Jobs filled by males were unchanged between March 2025 and March 2026. The number of jobs filled by women rose 0.3%.

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...and our reaction

Although bobbling around month-to-month, the labour market has been heading in the right direction, with the recovery being led by the resilient South Island.
Two consecutive months of growth in total filled jobs is encouraging against the backdrop of recent underwhelming performance.
The South Island is being sustained by job growth in agriculture and mining. Recent growth in jobs filled by women is being supported by growth in female-dominated industries such as education and healthcare.
The March result is particularly impressive given that conflict in the Middle East led to steep rises in fuel costs across New Zealand during the month.
However, we expect the fuel price shock to stall New Zealand’s labour market recovery, with businesses and consumers struggling with immediately higher fuel costs, weakening both confidence and spending growth on non-fuel items. Under these conditions, taking on additional staff will be a less attractive proposition for many businesses.

Latest updates

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Employment indicators

Let’s hear it for the South

The key numbers...

...and our reaction

Latest updates

Further weak employment recovery

Public sector leads job gains

Healthcare leads job growth