Low unemployment reinforces our persistent skill shortages

3 November 2016

“Low unemployment reinforces our persistent skill shortages” - Auckland Chamber of Commerce head Michael Barnett.

“Given that the unemployment level of 4.9% probably includes a group of people who are unemployable and others who don’t want to work, it means that New Zealand is faced with having a very small pool of talent available for work,” says Mr Barnett.

“While I understand why the media are celebrating our relatively low unemployment compared to many other countries, what also needs to be part of the story is that New Zealand is facing a skill shortage in a number of critical areas – and has done so for some time, according to quarterly Auckland Chamber of Commerce surveys.

“Finding ways to overcome our skill shortages will be critical if we are to reach our growth potential.”

He suggests that employers are going to have to learn to hire people for their potential rather than making a call based on a CV that fits the job description they want immediately.

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