The number of New Zealanders receiving Jobseeker Support remains persistently high, with the latest Ministry of Social Development figures showing 218,481 people are now relying on the benefit.
The quarterly benefit statistics, released on Thursday, show Jobseeker Support remains the country’s largest working-age benefit.
While benefit numbers have fluctuated over recent years, the latest total remains among the highest recorded in the past five years. The highest figure over that period was 223,512 people receiving Jobseeker Support in the December 2025 quarter.
Māori continue to be disproportionately represented among Jobseeker recipients, with the latest figures also showing an increase in the number of Māori receiving the benefit over the past year.
While the rise broadly reflects the national trend, Māori remain among those most affected by the softer labour market.
Labour says the latest figures highlight the economic pressures facing whānau and communities across the country.
Labour’s social development spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said the figures showed the Government was moving further away from its election promise to reduce Jobseeker numbers.
“Ko taku e kite ana, ko taku e rongo ana, he tino taumaha i tēnei wā mō ngā tāngata ki te rapu mahi.”
Prime said she believed many New Zealanders were struggling to find employment and accused the Government of lacking a coherent employment strategy.
“Ā, horekau he rautaki mahi a tēnei Kāwanatanga. Ko tā rātou mahi anake ko te whakawhiu, ko te takahi i ngā tāngata kei runga i te penihana.”
She said Māori communities were continuing to carry a disproportionate share of those pressures.
“Tokomaha ngā tāngata Māori, ngā rangatahi Māori hoki, me ngā whānau Māori kei runga i ēnei penihana.”
Prime said the impact was being felt acutely in communities such as Kaitāia and Te Tai Tokerau.
“Ko ēnei taumahatanga, ēnei pēhitanga, ka pā kino nei ki ō tātou whānau i roto i ngā hapori pēnei i Kaitaia, pēnei i Te Tai Tokerau.”
She also pointed to the confirmed closure of Juken New Zealand’s Northland Mill in Kaitāia as an example of the pressures facing regional economies, saying she had seen first-hand the uncertainty facing local whānau before the closure was confirmed.
However, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston said the figures also showed positive signs, with more New Zealanders moving from benefits into work.
In the year ending June 2026, 86,544 people exited a main benefit into employment, an increase of 5,772 compared with the previous year.
During the June quarter alone, 21,261 people moved from a main benefit into work, up 1,665 on the same period last year.
Upston said the latest quarterly figures reflected typical seasonal patterns, with a small increase in working-age benefit numbers and fewer exits into work than the previous quarter. She said year-on-year comparisons provided a more reliable indicator of labour market trends.
“Economic conditions are challenging, but today’s figures are promising for the job market and job seekers,” she said.
Upston said initiatives including the Government’s Traffic Light System for jobseekers, MSD’s Kōrero Mahi – Let’s Talk Work seminars and partnerships with employers were helping more New Zealanders move into sustainable employment.
More than 16,000 people attended Kōrero Mahi seminars during the June quarter, while partnerships with employers including Ventia, Auckland Airport and SkyCity had helped connect jobseekers with work.
Prime rejected the Minister’s assessment, saying the overall Jobseeker numbers showed the Government’s approach was not delivering the outcomes it had promised.
“Kei hea ngā ara mahi? Kei hea ngā tūranga mahi? Kei hea te puna mahi? Kei hea te tautoko a tēnei Kāwanatanga mō ngā whānau e pāngia ana e tēnei taumahatanga?”
She said Labour would instead focus on rebuilding employment and training pathways if they get into power after this year’s election, including expanding Apprenticeship Boost to help more people gain skills, qualifications and secure work.
