Expats are drawn to New Zealand from all over the world, thanks to the numerous benefits the country offers. Beautiful landscapes worthy of the silver screen, a plethora of outdoors activities and a familiar language and culture are just a few of the great attractions for expats seeking a new country they can quickly settle into. There’s also the fact that New Zealand consistently ranks highly in the various annual expat satisfaction surveys, most notably coming in at the second best destination in the world in last year’s HSBC Expat Explorer Survey – certainly not a ranking to be sniffed at.
As if the above wasn’t enough to push you to into making that jump across the pond, the recent good news regarding New Zealand’s job market might just do the trick.
A recent article by ExpatForum.com reports that job opportunities are growing across the country with certain regions seeing unemployment figures fall to their lowest in eight years. The official government stats reveal that New Zealand’s unemployment rate has decreased to 5.1% in the second quarter of this year and that 66.2% of the working age population were employed in June 2016 – a rise of 2.4% from the March 2016 quarter. Additionally, 8,000 more women are now employed than in June last year.
Auckland, one of New Zealand’s most popular cities for expats with its winning combination of modern amenities, dynamic entertainment and laid-back seaside ambience, has also seen unemployment drop to a rate of 4.7%. The article further cites new research from recruitment firm SEEK which reveals that jobs advertised in Auckland rose by 5.4% year on year in July, creating a steady balance between available positions and jobseekers making applications.
In fact, SEEK found that across New Zealand as a whole there were 4.8% more advertised jobs in July 2016 than there were in the same period the previous year. All in all, the future of New Zealand’s job market for expats is looking bright.
So, which sectors are experiencing the biggest boom in opportunity? The industries which offered the most positions in July 2016 included ICT, trades and services, and administration. The ICT sector is experiencing a period of growth throughout New Zealand as forward-thinking companies seek to invest in innovative technology and infrastructure as well as reach out to overseas markets. As a result, companies are currently looking for fresh ICT talent to order to stay competitive and help to expand business.
The roles that are most in-demand include business systems analysts, programmers, developers and project managers. There is less opportunity in the market for technical writers and hardware engineers.
Expats that have their heart set on a new life in New Zealand would do well to keep a close eye on the Essential Skills in Demand list published by Immigration New Zealand. Here you will find details of the skill sets and roles for which the government are actively recruiting. If you fulfil the criteria, you could fast-track into your ideal role. Otherwise your employer will have to prove that no New Zealander could be found to fill your chosen position before they can offer you a job.
However, if opportunities continue to arise, your dream career in New Zealand could be a lot closer than you might have thought.
Information correct at time of publication.