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International migration: November 2025 – Stats NZ information release
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Electronic card transactions: December 2025 – Stats NZ information release
Research – Inside the salary decisions Kiwi companies are making in 2026 – Robert Half
Salaries for roles regularly hired for are predominantly based on online salary guides (44%), industry benchmarking tools (40%), and recommendation from direct managers (39%).
Salaries for new roles not hired before are based on fixed salary scales (40%), recommendation from direct managers (39%), and guidance from HR/internal salary benchmarks (32%).
Auckland, 21 January 2026 – As job titles and responsibilities evolve, many New Zealand companies draw on a mix of internal and external sources to set salaries for roles within their organisation, relying mainly on internal expertise and experience for new roles, new independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half reveals.
How companies set salaries for familiar roles
When setting pay for familiar roles, New Zealand employers primarily reference established market data, but also validate those figures with internal structures. The top five tools cited by hiring managers are:
|
|
Approach |
% of employers |
|
1 |
Online salary guides |
44% |
|
2 |
Industry benchmarking tools |
40% |
|
3 |
Recommendation from direct manager |
39% |
|
4 |
Compensation of internal peers |
38% |
|
5 |
Company performance/profitability |
37% |
Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 250 employers in New Zealand.
How companies set salaries for unfamiliar roles
When hiring for new or redefined roles, the process becomes less reliant on external materials. Without historical precedent, employers tend to adopt a more cautious and internally guided approach:
|
|
Approach |
% of employers |
|
1 |
Fixed salary scales |
40% |
|
2 |
Recommendation from direct manager |
38% |
|
3 |
Guidance from HR/internal salary benchmarks |
37% |
|
4 |
Company performance/profitability |
36% |
|
5 |
Compensation of internal peers |
32% |
Independent survey commissioned by Robert Half among 250 employers in New Zealand.
“Online salary guides, like Robert Half's, remain the top driver of pay for familiar roles, indicating that many businesses continue to take a data-driven approach to salary decisions,” says Megan Alexander, Managing Director at Robert Half.
“While internal expertise and experience are valuable for salary benchmarking, relying on them alone can leave businesses misaligned with the market for both existing and new roles. Companies that balance internal performance with up-to-date market data are better positioned to attract and retain in-demand professionals, especially in sectors where salary expectations move quickly.
“With job structures evolving and skill demands changing, flexibility and adaptability are now critical to effective workforce planning. This is driving greater reliance on market-informed salary setting for new and emerging roles, signalling a wider shift towards data-driven decision making,” concludes Alexander.
About the research
The study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted online in October 2025 by an independent research company of 250 finance, accounting, and IT and technology hiring managers. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs as well as large private, publicly-listed, and public sector organisations across New Zealand. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management, and trends in the workplace.
About Robert Half
Robert Half is the global, specialised talent solutions provider that helps employers find their next great hire and jobseekers uncover their next opportunity. Robert Half offers both contract and permanent placement services, and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm. Robert Half New Zealand has an office in Auckland. More information on roberthalf.com/nz.
Weather News – MetService issues Red Warnings for Significant Rain
Source: MetService
Covering period of Wednesday 21 – Thursday 22 January
- At 9:08am MetService escalated the Severe Weather Warnings in Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and northern Tairāwhiti Gisborne to Red Warnings for significant rainfall, in consultation with the respective regional councils.
All MetService warnings have the potential for impacts, but Red Warnings are reserved for the most extreme weather events where significant impact and disruption are expected.
The escalation to a Red Warning comes off the back of already impactful heavy rain over the past few days. The upper North Island is in the throes of a prolonged heavy rain event, while a tropical low approaches the country, arriving today (Wednesday).
The Red Warnings are valid from 9:00 am Wednesday and go until 11:00 pm in Northland, 3:00 am Thursday in Coromandel, while Bay of Plenty and northern Tairāwhiti Gisborne go to 9:00 am and 11:00 am Thursday respectively.
Parts of Northland have already seen more than 300 mm of rain since the start of Sunday, with a further 120 mm possible today. Coromandel has received 150 to 200 mm of rain in 24 hours with impacts already felt, and a further 200 to 250 mm is possible on top of what has already fallen. Bay of Plenty could see a further 240 mm, while Gisborne may see 250 to 350 mm. Periods of intense downpours are also likely.
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane says, “With rain falling onto already sodden ground, widespread impacts such as significant flooding, slips, dangerous river conditions, and hazardous road conditions and travel disruptions are likely. These can lead to areas being cut off, as well as danger to life.”
“A Red Warning signifies that people need to act now as immediate action is required to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services.”
This is the first Red Warning MetService has issued this year. It is the 20th Red Warning weather event since the highest alert level was introduced back in May 2019.
In addition, Auckland, the rest of Tairāwhiti Gisborne, as well as Hawke’s Bay may see impactful rainfall and are under Orange Heavy Rain Warnings.
Wet weather is possible over the South Island today and on Thursday. Tasman west of Mapua is under an Orange Heavy Rain Warning, while Watches are in place for Nelson, Westland, and Canterbury including Christchurch.
Meanwhile, strong easterly to northeasterly winds are also expected over the North Island. Strong Wind Watches are in place for Wednesday and early Thursday covering Auckland and all of Waikato, including Coromandel. All Warnings and Watches are all illustrated in more detail on our webpage; https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home.
“These impacts are likely to be long and far-reaching and may run into the long weekend ahead for popular holiday hotspots. Be sure to stay up to date with your local Civil Defence, especially if you’re planning to travel,” Makgabutlane advises.
Severe weather can increase traffic to the website which can slow it down. If you experience performance issues, you can keep up to date via our free MetService weather app. The app also provides push notifications for Red Severe Weather Warnings. More information about enabling them can be found here: https://metservice.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=63982abb40666393e6a63259d&id=ec075aa445&e=852c839bf9
Activist News – Protest at today’s National Party caucus retreat – PSNA
Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Palestine solidarity supporters will be outside the National Party caucus retreat this morning from 10am (Commodore Hotel, 449 Memorial Ave, Ōtautahi/Christchurch) to hold the party to account for complicity in Israel’s on-going genocide in Gaza.
“As election year opens we are determined to keep this issue before the government and the public”, says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto. “We will be continuing our demand for the government to sanction Israel for genocide”
In the face of mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza our Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Peters have been silent.
“This is the most important human rights issue of the 21st century – there is nowhere for National MPs to hide”
“The government has betrayed international law, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice – the bedrock agencies of the government’s so-called “rules-based international order”
All those groups have called for action to hold the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel to account for its actions in Palestine but the government is looking the other way.
John Minto
Co-Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
Energy Policy – Improving transparency in NZ’s energy transition – BusinessNZ
Source: BusinessNZ
The BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC) says improved, system-wide data will help businesses, policymakers and communities better understand New Zealand’s energy transition.
BEC's Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says Powering Change's introduction of a quarterly Measures and Metrics report as part of its refresh will provide a valuable new lens on New Zealand’s energy transition.
“Tracking energy prices, reliability, renewables and emissions over time offers a clearer, whole-of-system view of how the transition is progressing.
“We encourage anyone with an interest in the future of New Zealand’s energy system, including how we maintain security and affordability while reducing emissions, to engage with the Powering Change platform.
Beard says BEC acknowledges the Powering Change team, which is made up of organisations from across the energy system, for their collaborative effort in strengthening understanding of New Zealand’s energy outlook.
“The need for clearer, more accessible information was one of the key actions identified through the Energy Transition Framework, and the refreshed Powering Change platform directly supports that goal.”
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
Revealed: PM’s office received no advice that there are jobs for young people – CPAG
Source: Child Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) and Kick Back can reveal the Prime Minister’s office received no advice that plentiful jobs are available to the 18 and 19-year-old jobseekers his government will soon kick off Jobseeker Support.
Under the Official Information Act, CPAG asked the Ministry of Social Development what evidence was supplied to the Prime Minister about the number and location of jobs available to young people, as well as any costings youth migration for those jobs.
Our request was transferred to the Prime Minister’s office, which refused our request on grounds that “ the requested information does not exist.”
This completely goes against claims the Prime Minister has been making in public, since his government announced it would begin removing access to Jobseeker Support for 18 and 19-year-olds without children.
In multiple media interviews, press conferences, and business events, the Prime Minister has repeatedly asserted that “there are plenty of jobs,” that primary industries are “crying out for young people,” and that if they cannot find work locally, young people should “go where the jobs are.”
Since those comments were made, business leaders and regional employers have pushed back, saying they are not “crying out” for young workers at all. Horticulture employers in Hawke’s Bay stated they were fully staffed and that roles were highly seasonal, not suited to year-round income.
South Island producers and tourism operators have likewise reported fewer vacancies and more applicants, casting serious doubt on the PM’s claim that whole regions are waiting for a wave of teenage labour.
Despite these disputes, the OIA response confirms the Prime Minister received:
– No evidence of industries or regions with sufficient youth-ready vacancies
– No vacancy mapping showing realistic labour demand for teenagers
– No assessment of transport, housing, or training barriers to work
– No modelling of youth relocation (“go where the jobs are”)
– No advice on the safety or welfare implications of youth migration for work
“It’s been evident for some time that the Government’s strategy of reducing poverty by simply getting people into jobs won’t work in an economy with unemployment at a nine-year high, and with roughly four jobseekers for every job ad”, says CPAG spokesperson Isaac Gunson.
“In a nation where 1 in 7 children lives in material hardship, the answer is not to strip away income support when they graduate into adulthood and find there are no jobs for them. That’s just hurting them, and hurting our shared future as a nation.”
Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) coordinator Agnes Magele says this new information reveals a policy that treats young people as disposable.
“To put it simply, as Nelson Mandela said, ‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.’ This OIA shows young people are being sanctioned and pushed off support without evidence that jobs exist or any plan to help them relocate.
“That’s not how you protect the next generation. If the evidence doesn’t exist, the policy shouldn’t either.”
“Our 18 and 19-year-olds are ready to work, their parents are already busting their ass just to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and yet the government is punishing them for a system that doesn’t exist. No jobs, no plan, and no evidence – while young people are paying the price.”
“Hardworking whānau have waited long enough and the government needs to stop hiding behind BS excuses and take action now. Anything less is unacceptable!”
Kick Back general manager Aaron Hendry says a lack of opportunity, not ambition, is driving youth poverty.
“Kick Back has serious concerns that this policy is going to push more of our rangatahi and whanau deeper into poverty and make our young people more vulnerable to homelessness. Our rangatahi do not lack motivation, what they lack is opportunity, and the support they need to overcome the very significant challenges they face.
“Instead of punishing young people for an economic crisis that they have had no hand in making, our Government could be investing in solutions, building pathways into meaningful employment, creating opportunities, and building the social infrastructure our rangatahi require in order to thrive.”
CPAG, AAAP and Kickback are loudly and clearly saying enough is enough, renewing calls for the Government to immediately pause the Jobseeker Support changes for 18 and 19-year-olds, and release any labour-market evidence it is relying on to justify the policy.
The full OIA response from the Prime Minister's office is available on our website: https://www.cpag.org.nz/media-releases/revealed-pms-office-received-no-advice-that-there-are-jobs-for-young-people
Economy – How important are global market shocks for explaining NZGB-swap spreads? – Reserve Bank of NZ
Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
20 January 2026 – We have published an Analytical Note: How important are global market shocks for explaining NZGB-swap spreads?
This Note documents historical developments in the spread between New Zealand Government Bond yields and interest rate swap (IRS) rates – the NZGB-swap spread. (ref. https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=8856bc1374&e=f3c68946f8 )
Key findings
NZGB-swap spreads tend to become more volatile during periods of global sovereign bond market illiquidity and moved persistently higher after the Global Financial Crisis. The increase in NZGB-swap spreads since mid-2023 has been correlated with higher sovereign bond-swap spreads in a range of jurisdictions.
This Note estimates a structural vector autoregression model to understand how much of the overall variation in NZGB-swap spreads is explained by US shocks.
Forecast error variance decomposition analysis shows that in the longer-run, around 56% of the variation in the 10-year NZGB-swap spread is explained by US shocks. Historical decomposition analysis shows both US and domestic shocks have been important drivers of the increase in the 10-year NZGB-swap spread since mid-2023.
Trends in New Zealand financial markets can often be traced back to global factors, which is why it is important to understand to what extent changes in domestic financial conditions are a response to global or local shocks.
Why we did this research
The spread between New Zealand Government Bond (NZGB) yields and interest rate swap (IRS) rates – the NZGB-swap spread – has increased since mid-2023.
NZGB-swap spreads often rise sharply during periods of illiquidity in the NZGB market, so it is important to understand whether movements in NZGB-swap spreads can be explained by macroeconomic factors (such as the domestic business cycle or global shocks) or are due to factors that may be symptomatic of a deterioration in NZGB market liquidity.
As discussed in one of our recent speeches, trends in New Zealand financial markets need to be understood in their global context. This is a key motivation for undertaking this analysis to understand how much of the variation in NZGB-swap spreads is driven by US shocks. We focus on the influence of US shocks because of the central role that the US plays in global markets.
Read the speech – Transmission currents and the flow of monetary policy to financial conditions: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=a55c167954&e=f3c68946f8
Fire Safety – Fire restrictions eased in Hawke’s Bay
Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Rain and cooler temperatures have eased the fire risk in parts of Hawke's Bay, which has enabled Fire and Emergency New Zealand to reduce restrictions on open air fires in some places and remove them in others.
From today (Tuesday 20 January) the Ahuriri-Heretaunga, Tukituki West and Tukituki East zones will move from a total prohibition to a Restricted Fire Season. This means farmers and orchardists, contractors, forestry contractors and others can still carry out controlled burns on their land if they need to, but they will need a permit from Fire and Emergency which provides clear guidelines and advice on how to use fire safely. It also allows people to apply for permits for recreational fires like bonfires.
At the same time, the other parts of Hawke's Bay that have been under a Restricted Season will move to an open season, where fires can be lit without a permit provided people use common sense and follow basic fire safety principles. These zones are Wairoa Inland, Wairoa Coast, Te Haroto, Esk-Tutaekuri, Tararua West, Tararua East Tararua Central, Porangahau and Southern Hawke's Bay Coast.
Fire and Emergency District Manager Tony Kelly has thanked the community for taking notice of the fire safety messages over the previous few weeks, when Hawke's Bay was at high risk of fires.
“The recent rain has helped reduce the danger, but there is a lot of summer left and it will only take a few hot and windy days for vegetation to dry out,” he says.
“If you’re planning a fire, please keep your burn piles small – that is, under 3m – only light one pile at a time and make sure they are fully extinguished before dusk.
“Go back afterwards and check that they stay cold.”
Wherever you are, go to www.checkitsalright.nz to make sure of the fire season in your location, and what rules apply to open fires.