New Zealand’s unemployment rate has surged to a near five-year high of 5.2 per cent, with 156,000 people out of work, forcing many jobseekers to accept employment far from home just to stay afloat, RNZ reports.
With companies halting recruitment or laying off staff, Auckland has become the hardest-hit region, recording a 6.1 per cent unemployment rate in the June 2025 quarter — the highest across the country. About 15,000 more Aucklanders are jobless compared to the same time last year.
Simon Bridges, Chief Executive of the Auckland Business Chamber, has urged the government to take urgent action to stimulate the economy, both in the supercity and nationally.
The impact is even more severe on Pacific communities, where the unemployment rate has soared to 12.1 per cent, more than twice the national average.
Ana Ika, social policy analyst at the Salvation Army, told Pacific Waves that the rise reflects deeper systemic challenges facing Pacific youth.
“Our labour force participation rate hasn't changed that much, but our unemployment has increased,” she said. “We would think that a lot of unemployment in the Pacific is predominantly our young people.”
The growing struggle to find work has forced many to make difficult choices.
Shannon Kendall, a project manager in the construction industry from Hawke’s Bay, said she spent nearly a year job-hunting after being made redundant in 2024. She eventually landed a job in Palmerston North, more than two hours from her home.
“I was applying for jobs in Auckland, I was applying for jobs in Australia,” she said. “I was ready to just do whatever I had to do and commute big time to have employment and to stay in my industry,” she added, as reported by RNZ.
Although grateful to be working again, Kendall has chosen to commute rather than relocate, as her son remains enrolled in school in Hawke’s Bay.
In Rotorua, writer-editor Matt Walker faced a similar struggle after losing his public sector job during government cutbacks in early 2024. Over the next 15 months, he submitted more than 200 job applications — with no permanent success.
“It’s tough out there with hundreds of people going for the same role,” he said. In one case, he was among 220 applicants for a single vacancy, reported by RNZ.
Walker finally secured a job in the NGO sector, but it requires him to travel regularly to Christchurch. Despite the distance, he said his workplace has been supportive and provided him with the necessary resources.
“I’m not looking for a job change now,” he said, as reported by RNZ.
James Brown, an insurance adjustor from Christchurch, had applied for over 100 jobs in New Zealand before relocating to Brisbane after being made redundant more than a year ago. Though he is currently working in Australia, he hopes to return home to reunite with his partner and children.
“I have an extensive CV — it shouldn’t be this difficult to find a job,” Brown said, as reported by RNZ.
Alan McDonald, head of advocacy at the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA), noted that while the agriculture sector is helping to drive employment in some regions, Auckland faces different economic challenges. The city’s reliance on industries more affected by global shifts makes it especially vulnerable to job losses.
As unemployment rises and jobseekers are forced to choose between long commutes or relocation, business leaders and social advocates alike are urging the government to take stronger and more targeted steps to address the worsening situation.
ISSUE
Leave a Comment