Employment indicators

Healthcare leads job growth

28 May 2026

Rob Heyes

Our take on the latest Employment indicators (Thu 28 May 2026)

Filled jobs

Healthcare jobs

0.2%

0.5%

5,527

In April (sa)

From April 2025

Over the year to April

The key numbers...

Filled job numbers rose 0.2% (4,333 jobs) between March and April 2026 (seasonally adjusted). The March rise was revised down from 0.3% to 0.1%. This is the second consecutive month that filled jobs have risen after the February result was revised down to be flat.
Employment in the primary sector rose 0.4% (411 jobs) in April (seasonally adjusted), the third consecutive monthly rise. Goods-producing sector jobs edged up 0.1% (288 jobs), the same growth rate as the two months before. The service sector, which makes up more than three-quarters of all jobs, saw job growth of 0.2% (3,650), the second consecutive monthly rise.
Growth in job numbers of 0.5% from April 2025 represented the fastest annual increase in two years, reflecting the upward momentum in the jobs market that has been gradually building in recent months.
Comparing April 2026 with April 2025, the most jobs were created in healthcare (5,527), transport (2,386) and agriculture (2,248). Manufacturing saw the biggest fall (-3,238). The rate of job declines continued to ease in several industries that have been shedding jobs: manufacturing, construction, media and telecommunications, rental, hiring and real estate, and administrative services. Job numbers rose in utilities, wholesale, financial services, and professional services following declines in previous months.
The South Island continues to create jobs at a steady clip, with a 1.7%pa increase between April 2025 and April 2026. North Island job numbers were revised down to a 0.3%pa fall between March 2025 and March 2026. However, April 2025 to April 2026 saw a 0.2% increase in filled jobs North of Cook Strait. Canterbury (2.3%pa), the West Coast (2.0%pa), Southland (2.1%pa) and Otago 1.5%pa) continue to lead regional job growth nationally. In the North Island, Waikato (1.3%) posted the fastest rate of job growth.
Employment of young people continues its decline, with jobs filled by 30-year-olds and under down 1.5%pa in April 2026 compared with April 2025 – the 33rd consecutive fall. Jobs filled by over-30s rose 1.0%pa – the ninth consecutive increase. Jobs filled by males rose 0.1% between April 2025 and April 2026. The number of jobs filled by women rose 0.6%.

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...and our reaction

As April’s economic data begins to filter through, we’ve been waiting to see the extent to which conflict in the Middle East and associated price rises will dent New Zealand’s economic recovery.
As far as the labour market is concerned, the message so far is not much at all. The job market recovery remains nascent, but job growth is happening, led by healthcare.
Healthcare employment tends to be relatively insulated from broader economic conditions, but strong employment growth is encouraging given that the sector is not awash with funding.
Rises in agricultural employment are no great surprise given that our food exports continue to enjoy elevated prices, even if farm costs are becoming more challenging.
Job gains in industries less affected by higher fuel prices such as financial services, public administration, and education are not too surprising. But the sector most exposed to higher fuel prices, transport, postal and warehousing, has created over 4,500 jobs since Middle East hostilities began. As fuel supplies remain constrained, the resilience of the transport industry will be tested.

Latest updates

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Employment indicators

Healthcare leads job growth

The key numbers...

...and our reaction

Latest updates

Continued patchy jobs growth

Further weak employment recovery

Public sector leads job gains