Let’s not sugarcoat it. Wellington’s job market is rough right now.
If you’ve been job hunting recently, you probably don’t need another news story to confirm what you already know. Roles are scarce, competition is fierce, and even the most experienced professionals struggle to get a foot in the door. One candidate in The Post compared it to the Hunger Games on steroids. Honestly, fair.
From our desk at Key Skills, we’re seeing a similar thing in construction, manufacturing, and engineering.
SEEK says job ads in Wellington are flatlining while regions like Otago and Manawatū are seeing growth. MBIE’s figures back that up, showing a 20% annual drop in advertised roles in the capital. It’s brutal out there.
So what’s going on?
Wellington’s long-standing reliance on the public sector has always made us a bit vulnerable to government changes, and the brain drain to Australia is real. People with solid mid-level experience, often with young families, are heading across the ditch and not looking back. And who can blame them? There’s only so long you can wait for things to turn around while staring down mortgage stress, a drying job market, and another month of rejections.
What’s worse is how this affects hiring from the other side of the table too. With hundreds of applications per job, it’s harder than ever for hiring managers to sort the ‘could-do-the-job-tomorrow’ candidates from the ‘willing-to-learn-but-understandably-under-pressure’ crowd.
And when everything feels uncertain from whether projects will still go ahead, budgets, and headcount, and even the next election, hesitation sets in. Businesses delay. project stalls and everyone holds their breath a little.
But is this a downturn, or is this actually the new normal?
We don’t say that to be pessimistic, we say it to be practical. If you’re waiting for a magic bounce-back, you’ll miss the opportunity to adapt early. Wellington needs a mindset shift. That goes for employers and job seekers. We can’t rely on the old ways of working anymore.
What do we do instead?
- Hire smarter: Think long-term fit, not just box-ticking. Skillsets evolve. Good people can learn. Hire for adaptability.
- Stay human: The current volume of applications is overwhelming, but ghosting good people damages your brand. Communicate clearly. Even a no is better than silence.
- Think flexibly: Fixed roles and rigid processes don’t suit a fluid economy. Casual, contract, short-term, or project-based work is becoming the norm and that’s not always a bad thing.
- Support your people: The job market’s changing, but so is what workers need from you. Pay well, treat people with respect, and invest in retention or risk losing your best to regions or countries with a plan.
And to those in the thick of it, hearing “you’re overqualified” while trying to pay the bills – we see you. It’s not fair. It’s not easy. But you’re not doing anything wrong, this moment just needs a different approach.
Keep showing up. And if you need a hand, shout out we’re here.
This post first appeared in Hire Wire, our free monthly newsletter on smarter hiring and all things in construction, engineering and manufacturing recruitment. Subscribe here or get in touch if you want to talk through anything you’ve read.
