Auckland: job market, who is hiring and local help after redundancy

The numbers

Auckland was reported to have around 21,000 fewer jobs than two years earlier in Stats NZ data covered in March 2026, with construction and manufacturing among the hardest hit. Stats NZ's release on 5 August 2026 gave national unemployment of 5.6 percent, with a North Island rate of 6.0 percent. Knowledge Auckland (Auckland Council) reported Auckland unemployment of 6.5 percent in the June 2026 quarter, similar to March and the highest-equal rate since 2013, with employment up 3,900 (0.4 percent) on the quarter. The next national release is due in early November 2026.

Where hiring continues

• Health and aged care (clinical roles), social services and disability support.
• Logistics, warehousing and port-related work, though volumes are mixed.
• Infrastructure, utilities and energy work, including water, transport and electricity networks.
• Education support, early childhood and tertiary student services, though tertiary budgets are tight.
• Hospitality, retail and tourism, which hire quickly but offer variable hours.
• Security, cleaning, facilities, and trades in maintenance rather than new housing.

Local help

• Email RedeploymentSupport@msd.govt.nz for redeployment support before or after you lose your job, or ask your local Work and Income service centre what is on offer.
• Direct Career Service: 0800 222 733.
• Auckland Council and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited publish business and employment information. Check their sites for current programmes.
• Community Law centres and Citizens Advice Bureaux operate across Auckland suburbs for free legal and general help.
• Pacific and Māori employment providers and iwi organisations run job and training programmes. Ask your local Work and Income office for referrals. Stats NZ's June 2026 data (as reported by 1News) showed unadjusted unemployment of 10.8 percent for Māori and 11.6 percent for Pacific peoples nationally, so these services are in high demand.

Cost of living and housing

Auckland rents and housing costs are high, so check your Accommodation Supplement area and entitlement, and talk to your landlord or bank early if you are at risk. See the housing and money guides on this site.

Work and Income offers redeployment support for people facing redundancy. Its page says you can contact them before your job ends, even if no decisions have been made. Support can include a named contact who helps with your CV and cover letter, looks for jobs or training, connects you with employers and arranges financial support between jobs.

• Email RedeploymentSupport@msd.govt.nz (the address Work and Income lists for redundancy support).
• Call Work and Income on 0800 559 009 to talk about payments such as Jobseeker Support or a Transition to Work Grant.
• Book a free career conversation with the Direct Career Service on 0800 222 733.