Young Kiwis struggle to find work as regions turn to migrant labour
November 2, 2026
Summarised by Centrist
New Zealand faces a growing employment and migration paradox.
Young Kiwis are struggling to find work, others are leaving for Australia, yet some regions are increasingly reliant on overseas migrants to fill labour shortages.
New Stats NZ figures show that two-thirds of the country's territorial authority and Auckland local board areas grew in the year to June 2026, but six cities declined.
Wellington experienced the largest fall, down 0.6%, with its population returning to 2017 levels. Infometrics economist Nick Brunsdon said the capital had lost 6,000 jobs over three years, prompting many residents to leave.
Brunsdon also observed that New Zealanders seeking better opportunities increasingly look overseas rather than relocate within the country. Instead of moving to another New Zealand town, people are more likely to say, "It's time to go overseas to Australia".
Meanwhile, Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub highlighted the growing dependence of provincial communities on international migration.
"Kiwis are leaving from those places, the locals are leaving," he said, pointing to areas such as Whakatāne and the East Cape, where domestic migration is negative but international migration remains positive.
Employers continue to need nurses, doctors and horticultural workers, with Eaqub warning that "the labour shortages are really binding".
Yet the same country faces what he described as "young people not getting access to jobs".
Eaqub acknowledged growing public concerns about immigration, including competition for employment, while warning that smaller towns also face mounting infrastructure costs without sufficient population growth.
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