How many job hunters are there for each job ad?
Finding work may not be as easy as "getting off the PlayStation": data shows there are many times more potential job hunters than jobs advertised.
The Rotorua Daily Post reported Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told local business leaders that unemployed school leavers needed to "get off the couch and stop playing PlayStation".
And he told Morning Report on Monday there were employers "crying out" for young people.
But data shows in almost all parts of the country, there were more people unemployed than there were jobs available.
Using just the number of people on Work Ready JobSeeker benefits, not including those who are on the benefit for sickness or disability reasons, there are just under four people for every job ad, nationwide.
That's down from about nine in 2020 but about twice the rate of 2021 and 2022 and the number has stayed relatively constant since then.
The number of unemployed per job ad is five, which is not as high as the 2010 peak but higher than the 2020 number.
Luxon said Hawke's Bay and the South Island were particularly keen on workers but Hawke's Bay had 7359 jobSeekers and 568 jobs on Seek.
Based only on Trade Me jobs data, Kawerau had the highest ratio of jobseekers to jobs, at 228.
Queenstown-Lakes was the only area in balance by that measure.
Professor Matthew Roskruge, from the Massey University school of economics, said it was an "incredibly difficult" time to be looking for a job.
"Especially where they don't have really specific experience or certification… the regions from what we have seen have been hit particularly hard. Public service cuts look like they've hit regions hard and we've seen manufacturing go, too."
He said policies designed to push people off the benefit would work better when the labour market was stronger. "It might make sense if there was demand out there for employees but if we increase supply they have got to have somewhere to go."
Craig Renney, policy director at the Council of Trade Unions and previously an adviser to former Finance Minister Grant Robertson, agreed it was a tough market. "We're seeing more and more people want more work and can't get it."
He said the number of unemployed per job ad would understate the real picture because about 400,000 people were underutilised - not working as much as they would like to.
"We still appear to be shedding work, we see on a weekly basis at major plants and in particular manufacturing sites closing across the country."
He said the situation was worse in the North Island then the South.
He said many job ads were for temporary positions or commission-based roles that would not give security.
He said young people had been particular hit by the downturn. The number of unemployed 15 to 19 year olds had risen by 10,000 in two years, to 37,200.
Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said jobhunters without experience would be "at the back of the queue".
He said people should be careful about comparing regions because the boundaries could be arbitrary.
"People travel across territorial authority boundaries all the time."
But he said there were some localised areas of pain such as Tokoroa where there had been major employer closures.
"That means those local job opportunities are further reduced."
He said young people trying to enter a workforce during weak economic times could feel the effect for a long time.
"They miss out on that entry into the job, the career pathway. And then by the time the economy recovers, there's a new cohort of people who are competing for those positions."
Massey University Dean's Chair in Management Professor Jarrod Haar said it did not help anyone to have young people on benefits.
But he said it would be better to use the money that would have been spent on teenagers' benefits on encouraging businesses to hire them.
"The reality is there's just no jobs, you know, or let's be honest, there'll be the few jobs out there, but there'll be hundreds of young people wanting them, applying for them. And it'll be the case that demand outstrips supply in a big way."
Meanwhle, An orchardist says the horticulture industry is not crying out for workers.
Yummy Fruit Company chief executive Paul Paynter, who grows apples and stone fruit in Hawke's Bay, said the industry wasn't short staffed right now.
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Charities turning away high numbers of volunteer applications
Charities are turning away people wanting to volunteer amidst a flood of interest they say is linked to the high rate of unemployment.
It comes as some businesses receive thousands of applications for paid roles and people look for experience anywhere they can.
The advocacy organisation Volunteering NZ has been tracking the trend. Spokesperson Margaret McLachlan said there has been a considerable rise in applications for volunteer roles across a range of charities.
Many application forms asks people to divulge if they are job hunters.
"Over the last year or so, they are seeing more people coming in who are saying they are in that category. They are looking for work but doing volunteering while that process is taking place."
"As unemployment increases and the cost of living, times are tougher for everybody."
At the same time, she said community organisations supporting social services were busier and needed more helpers.
McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview.
"In some cases it can be a process to go through and not always, and that can take some time.
"It's actually the same barriers that a person might find in finding a job, can also apply to volunteering. It's not always a easy option."
SPCA had 120 op shops and animal rescue centres across the country in which volunteers worked.
General manager of retail Cathy Crichton said they received about 1300 extra applications for volunteer roles, a 32 percent increase, from June to November 2025, compared to 2024.
"There's definitely a nudge forward which is very exciting and we're very grateful."
But it meant they were not accepting any more volunteers in some areas.
"Because the applications are up it's a unique scenario. But at this point in time, in smaller locations, we've actually got a hold in 19 locations in New Zealand where we are at capacity - and that's very rare and it's a very new trend."
Crichton said anyone seeking volunteer work should think creatively about what skills they can offer - it could be in administration or marketing.
"We'd love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community."
She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, meaning 160,000 people were jobless. The next quarterly figures are out in February.
"There's a willingness to give back and contribute to the community. Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience," Crichton said.
"It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others."
She said they had also seen an increase in young people seeking volunteer work experience.
"It's a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there's an appeal there as an employer...I really do think it adds value to a CV."
Stats NZ data showed over half of New Zealanders, 53 percent, volunteered during March 2025 and of those, 27.6 percent volunteered through an organisation and 40.8 percent volunteered directly for another person.
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The best board games to play (and gift) this summer
Over the holiday period, the right game can make all the difference. So which board games should you try out – and which ones should you gift?
1. Sushi Go Party
This colourful, fast-paced game has great art, and a "menu" that can be changed depending on the number of players (up to eight) and their familiarity with the game.
Players win the game by creating the best combination of cards, depending on what's available, by rotating the cards from player to player like a sushi train. It's easy to learn and relatively cheap.
2. Wavelength
In this party game, teams have to try and guess the location of a hidden target on a spectrum, using a clue from one "psychic" team member. The ends of the spectrum reflect two binaries, such as hot–cold or optional–mandatory, and the target falls somewhere in between.
The closer the team gets to where the psychic thinks the target should go, the more points they score. Wavelength is one of those games where no matter if your team gets it right or wrong, you can expect people to give their two cents.
3. Mysterium and Mysterium Park
In these team games, players play mediums seeking the counsel of another player – a ghost – who gives them clues to important information about murders in the house, including the ghost’s own murder.
The ghost offers the other players tarot cards with abstract artwork with which they must attempt to discern the murder weapon, location and culprit.
4. The Quacks of Quedlinburg
This game sees players take the role of potion makers at the local fair, who must push their luck by drawing ingredients out of a bag to make the best potions without them blowing up in their face. It’s simple to teach and hilarious when someone else blows up their cauldron (although arguably less when it’s you).
5. Modern Art
This is one of the most celebrated games from board game designer luminary Reiner Knizia. Players are art dealers auctioning off beautiful paintings done by five professional artists. Players might even forget to play as they get caught up in simply admiring the pieces they are auctioning off.
Modern Art remains a fiendishly clever game that is easy to learn but hard to master.
6. Heat: Pedal to the Metal
This strategic racing game is based on 1960s Formula 1 racing. The base game boasts four tracks on two gorgeous boards, and lovely little cars that pass each other and risk spinning out around corners.
7. Nemesis
By far the most expensive (and complicated) game on this list, Nemesis can best be described as Alien: the board game.
Players have to move through a spaceship, discovering rooms and items as they go, taking care not to alert the horrific extraterrestrials that have managed to get onto the ship – represented by amazingly designed pieces. It’s a truly tense and fun experience for a full afternoon.
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Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲
I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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