Job market & key industries
The job market in New Zealand will be strong in the next few years, the result of steady economic growth.
The government’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) predicts average annual GDP growth of about 2.7 per cent and 2.5 per cent over 2018-23 and 2023-28 respectively. Household spending, residential investment, a resumption of tourism along with strong growth in exports will underpin this GDP performance.
Growth at these rates means New Zealand will need nearly 40,000 new workers a year.
With an aging population meaning more people leaving the workforce, it is expected many of those new jobs will have to be filled by people coming to New Zealand from overseas. Perhaps - people like you.

Interested in coming to New Zealand?
Take the first step to a new life by registering your interest with Immigration New Zealand. We’ll send you personalised emails about job opportunities in your profession, life in New Zealand and choosing the right visa.
It’s free and there’s no obligation.

Job sites to explore
Specialist sites
Sites designed to connect offshore workers with NZ employers:
These sites have lots of jobs, but employers using them won’t necessarily be thinking about hiring from overseas:
- Seek - NZ's largest general job website
- Trade Me - NZ's most popular buy/sell website with a large jobs section
- More job websites
Getting started
The first step usually is finding a job. Check out where your skills will fit best and which employers are looking for your expertise.
What jobs, where
Almost half of the 40,000 new jobs in New Zealand each year will be in either Accommodation and Food services, Business services, Construction or Retail trade.
Transport and logistics and non-farm manufacturing will also grow, but are smaller sectors with fewer jobs to start with.
Employment growth will be strongest for highly-skilled occupations, including managers and professionals,
There will still be opportunities for less skilled workers, although not as many, with the fastest growing occupations in this category being drivers, construction and mining labourers and delivery drivers.
Jobs in New Zealand are dispersed quite widely around the country. The three biggest jobs centres are, in order, Auckland, Canterbury (including Christchurch) and Wellington. Job growth in Canterbury has slowed lately with the continued wind-down of the re-build following the 2011 earthquakes there.
However there are almost as many jobs in the regions, including the Waikato (based around the city of Hamilton), the Bay of Plenty (Tauranga), Otago (Dunedin and Queenstown), and around Nelson. The fastest growing region for jobs recently has been Manawatu-Wanganui (Palmerston North).
Is your profession on the green list?
Some high-need roles in various industries are currently on INZ's fast-tracked Residency Green list
The Green List | Immigration New Zealand