In Wellington, we saw a healthy balance of both candidates and job vacancies last year, with most opportunities sitting in the contracting space. In 2024, we are still seeing this trend, however the roll-over of the financial year to the pre-election promises of contractor and consultant cuts, reduced spending and potential restructures from businesses has had an impact on the confidence levels of jobseekers.

Coming off a candidate-driven market over the last 18 months-24 months, where there was significant choice and opportunity for jobseekers, we are now seeing a swing to a lower volume of roles and more applications. The economy and cost of living have also contributed to a low level of confidence in the hiring market.

When it comes to remote work, candidates are frequently seeking it out, but more are leaning towards flexible/hybrid working– as opposed to exclusively work from home. They’re more inclined to come into the office if the culture is a good one and if it’s a nice space to work from. When speaking with colleagues across NZ and Australia, they are observing a similar trend to Wellington in that many employers are mandating that team members be in the office 2-3 days per week at a minimum.