Job seekers have flooded an Auckland job fair, highlighting how difficult it has become to find work as unemployment sits at its highest level in a decade.
Long queues formed outside Go Media Stadium on Wednesday morning as people waited for the doors to open to the employment event organised by Lifeskills.
For many attending, the goal was simple: Find a job.
"It’s a struggle," one job seeker told 1News. "It’s hard to get out there putting your CV up there online and it’s still hard."
Many said coming to the fair gave them a chance to show employers who they were beyond a digital application.
"Coming here is pretty much helping me to not give up on my CV applications and to show them that I'm willing to work."
Even before the doors opened, a line of people had already formed outside the stadium.
Inside, around 100 employers had set up stalls ranging from construction firms to telecommunications companies and security providers.
The idea behind the fair was straightforward – bring employers and job seekers together in the same room.
"The employers in there are doing quickfire interviews," Lifeskills organiser Faamanu "Manu" Palelei said.
"They’re taking CVs and then organising time to do a more detailed interview with them."
Tough job market
The event comes as New Zealand’s job market shows signs of cooling.
Official data from Statistics New Zealand shows unemployment reached a near nine-year high late last year, while job listings in some sectors have declined.
The following quarter, the unemployment rate rose to 5.4% – the highest since September 2015.
There were 165,000 unemployed people in the December 2025 quarter. In the September 2025 quarter, there were 160,000.
"Obviously, we would prefer the rate to be lower still but the underlying details are positive and economists are expecting the unemployment rate to fall this year as the economy recovers," Finance Minister Nicola Willis said at the time.
Meanwhile, employers say the recruitment process can be overwhelming with hundreds – or even thousands – of applicants for a single job.
"When you advertise a job in this job market there’s hundreds of applications," a representative from Māori telecommunications company Tū Ātea said.
"Job seekers are actually getting drowned out in that process. This is a great opportunity for us to actually engage directly with them.
"For us we've connected with hundreds of young Māori, and we've got their contact details, they've got our contact details... now we can have those further conversations to actually look at the intrigue and the workbook."
For some young attendees, the event was their first real introduction to the job market.
Many said it had opened their eyes to career paths they had not previously considered.
"Building, construction, scaffolding – all around that area," one young job seeker said when asked what jobs interested them.
Another said construction was now their top choice.
"Construction, number one."
Others discovered opportunities in security.
"I learned that it's pretty easy to become a security guard and also maybe getting into construction," one attendee said.
Employers also searching
Employers attending the event said the face-to-face environment helped them identify promising candidates more quickly than traditional recruitment processes.
"We’ve got a real focus at the moment on finding good young people that we can train and offer apprenticeships to," said Drew Griffen, technical director at Seipp Construction.
"You just want to have the right attitude to come in."
Security firm Wulf Security was also among the companies recruiting on the day.
"We’re currently looking for a couple of roles to fill, so it’s a really good space to be in," director Pat Wulf said.
'Any opportunity counts'
Organisers say the turnout shows the demand for opportunities that allow job seekers to connect directly with employers.
Palelei said the job market remained challenging for two key groups.
"There’s a younger cohort that are just finding it hard to get started because they’re competing with those who have more experience," he said.
"Then you’re seeing the older generation who have been made redundant and just can’t get back into work."
For many who attended the fair, simply getting a chance to speak directly with employers was a step forward.
"You should hire me because I’ll get the job done," one young job seeker told 1News.
"And whatever the job is, I don’t complain."
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