# Question 39: I've recently been made redundant after years in the same industry. I have rent to pay, and I'm unsure whether to retrain or keep looking for similar work. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are parties offering people who lose their job: employment support, retraining, or measures to create new jobs? Collected 23 October 2026 [NZ Election 2026 · Edition 5 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 62119db8-4cfd-4c00-af33-9525a0384b03 Being made redundant after years in one industry can leave you facing two decisions at once: how to cover the rent now, and whether your next job should be in the same field or a new one. For the 2026 New Zealand general election, it helps to separate parties’ promises into three questions: - Income security: What happens while you are unemployed, and how accessible is financial support? - Retraining and re-employment: Will you receive help finding work, gaining new qualifications or moving into another industry? - Job creation: What are parties proposing to help employers hire, or to create work directly? New Zealand's 2026 election policy guides identify employment, benefits, training and economic growth as areas where parties have different approaches. The comparison below focuses on those differences rather than recommending a vote for any party. [Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment)[Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/) ## 1. How the main parties differ The following is a national-level summary of documented 2026 campaign policies. It distinguishes proposals aimed at supporting people directly from policies intended to stimulate business activity and employment. ![South Island Election Conference 2026](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/_spFKDBqOMVPoo8r35YLoGFwljs_-WWe4ur9fdZCfekzAxaUPGA75u8rI9uxOUTssI2hUZN1r4Zu1AeDrcNaxz3uHoFIyWjDpanT5s-KJ87QzxSu1uNjNL4MOHSuazRZuTy_TzC6aN4wxHHoyU_DhzMFuMCMjNBTtg2xRxOZL6c?purpose=inline) ## Labour Investment, apprenticeships and targeted training - Retraining: Proposes extending apprenticeship support, including employer payments and a $1,000 toolbox grant, with five additional trades covered from July 2027. - Job creation: Proposes a state-backed investment fund for infrastructure and innovation, and investment in early-stage New Zealand businesses. - Employment pathways: Has proposed Māori-led vocational training funding of $21 million annually. Source: [Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/)[The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained) ![Will National Party Finish 2nd in New Zealand's 2026 Election?](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/LCDs4P76HEgfCayafHeSga8GCw12Vxs2fPc3toeyLUZ-wmb6UiGRZY6bhdT1xRejtICfUd6GX2BWmI76EkpoWuffTU4g32bP_qUJp29rsfn5_Zvj5THHSYTLHSoo_5_YQyZ3zKE1WIpB4bu7raRltFl5TZFCgCcE0quf_GohkFI?purpose=inline) ## National Business investment and employment-focused welfare - Job creation: Relies on encouraging private-sector investment, business expansion and exports. Its Investment Boost tax policy lets businesses deduct 20% of the cost of eligible new assets. - Business support: Proposes reducing administrative burdens and helping small businesses access export markets and specialist advice. - Unemployment support: Emphasises a welfare system focused on getting people into employment, alongside obligations for people receiving assistance. Source: [2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies)[The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained) ![Green Party NZ (@NZGreens) on X](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/xwoeA3rTn5Pu0UL1uRc6X_g8ADsfUTe55rxQEjXC_rnFR_6TPTr_9eG0LsowNOdFRtax24qB8h-LRfUtZEf42T0CC5OclOZ5katbFJAYxs0cZRyqDBlGNgF_8AV_5WTCbYonGIqLGuK095lLGrkBVw3L8vdsA06tLHVNuCJquuc?purpose=inline) ## Green Party Direct public investment and environmental employment - Job creation: Proposes a job-guarantee programme focused on ecosystem regeneration. - Training and skilled work: Supports Māori-led job training and greater public investment in science, research and technical expertise. - Employment approach: Places more emphasis on the government directly supporting job creation and environmentally sustainable industries, rather than relying solely on business tax incentives. Source: [Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment)[The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained) ![New Zealand Legislative Election Winner 2026 Odds | Polymarket](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/jofoEEdOXv6HOQzupGnQLgXlZKKPYTzvN6g4IUMlN6xdqX4l_qH5-Y0A3to5ytO5w95eGsg-WLInlnku5FmW0VEyKqhTiAqcZSbr_Z1e_uNyqacdq4zniDKhRNRugVUCsz1-CYpZeG4nO7sLuQKEQlQMBgJCAoyH3nC76yYHd6E?purpose=inline) ## ACT Business flexibility and tighter welfare settings - Job creation: Proposes changes to business tax rules to make investment in software and IT systems easier to deduct. - Welfare: Supports a stronger focus on employment and has proposed tighter settings in parts of the welfare system. - Pay and training: Proposes freezing the adult minimum wage for three years and reducing the training minimum wage for workers under 20. Source: [Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/)[The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained) ![New Zealand legislative election winner? Predictions & Od... 2026 | Polymarket](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/UmXClDd76aKEk_XyXfEEacFBHXO18HFMG1Im-weRm7tb64uGzBsRK3vWPXuiFN2zaWaNznb7eSDIJucKOhlXtwb6Lq-BYR6oxisKzHsWTxF5AsiLmtcNGDNtwCsXzgIuSp2vW4pa6pAda-tTriG23zKX1ZuknQ81HGh411pqRkM?purpose=inline) ## New Zealand First Lower business costs and investment-led growth - Job creation: Proposes cutting the company tax rate from 28% to 20% for small and medium businesses with turnover below $30 million. - Economic development: Its campaign also includes proposals for substantial long-term infrastructure investment. - Direct retraining: The sources reviewed provide less detail on a specific retraining package for experienced workers made redundant. Source: [The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained)[Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/) ![Te Pāti Māori - Party for Party vote - NZ Election 2023 - Policy.nz](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/wTV9hxAOYzs4MX6hnGtj_ELeSR1VPbP9l046HOwhp2UZZtCfc8KwwZVB0-2n6Iinr3uWiRyM4dEa2cD5LOOtdlAjSgoNQ0gG9QXoJwemLTDmXMMEl5IUWheogu0GzYSG6_D0Qtx7eW7Xz-IH5QOBxQf00r7YeBj1geAzgX4aFok?purpose=inline) ## Te Pāti Māori Māori enterprise and community investment - Job creation: Proposes a $4.5 billion Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata Fund to invest in Māori businesses, land and marae. - Business opportunities: Proposes allocating 25% of government procurement to businesses or organisations that are 100% Māori-owned. - Training: The election policy guide also identifies Māori-led job-training proposals as part of the wider policy landscape. Source: [The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment) ![](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/KZ1zP60v_ZeHHj3ij4DA2sVh6oX86DHN4x_RGhm63IEKbj8P_3phlgxON0_dzBqruxZt_piBvLSwWYOzxGtRjeiBIDJnBczyBauAihY7VhbFruy9Xq4tPeGbXtvfFHap7T9ZV_eOqtHyttigv_yv7jT6ibug6IoPJMJnJ8SLOeE?purpose=inline) ## Opportunity (TOP) Innovation, research and new business development - Job creation: Proposes more investment in research and development, with a target of R&D spending reaching 2% of GDP within 10 years. - Business growth: Proposes expanded R&D tax credits and incentives for businesses with social or environmental goals. - Retraining: The proposals reviewed focus more on building innovative industries than on a specific income-support package for redundant workers. Source: [The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained)[Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/) You can examine the parties' published positions in the [Policy.nz 2026 incomes and employment guide](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and [The Conversation's 2026 policy tracker](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). The policies above are proposals or existing measures being carried into the campaign; not all are new, funded guarantees of a job or a training place. [Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment)[Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/)[The business and innovation policies of Election 2026, explained](https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/19-10-2026/the-business-and-innovation-policies-of-election-2026-explained) ## 2. What could these policies mean for you? The distinction that matters most is whether a proposal helps you personally while you are out of work, or whether it hopes to create jobs that you might eventually apply for. | If your main concern is… | Policies to examine closely | | --- | --- | | Paying rent while unemployed | Benefit eligibility, payment rates, hardship assistance and how quickly support is available | | Finding another job in your current industry | Job-matching services, employer incentives and policies that encourage investment in your sector | | Changing industries | Funded retraining, apprenticeships, career advice and recognition of existing qualifications | | Avoiding a long period without work | Job guarantees, public-sector recruitment, infrastructure projects and employer hiring incentives | | Protecting your income in your next job | Minimum-wage settings, employment rights, wage growth and working conditions | One important limitation: business investment does not automatically translate into jobs for redundant workers. A tax incentive might encourage a company to buy new equipment, for example, but it does not guarantee that the company will hire you. Similarly, an apprenticeship subsidy may be useful for someone changing careers, but you would want to check whether it covers your circumstances, age and intended trade. ## 3. What you can do while deciding whether to retrain You do not necessarily have to choose between retraining and looking for similar work immediately. A staged approach may help you manage the financial risk. - Check your immediate support. Work and Income can assess your eligibility for Jobseeker Support and other assistance, including help with urgent costs. Start at [Work and Income New Zealand](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - Test the market for your existing skills. Look at vacancies in your industry and adjacent fields before paying for a course. Your experience may transfer to a different sector without requiring a full qualification. - Investigate funded training. Check whether a prospective course is eligible for government funding, whether employers in the target industry are hiring, and whether training includes a work placement or recognised qualification. - Compare the actual cost of switching careers. Include course fees, time without earnings, transport and other expenses—not just the advertised tuition fee. ## 4. Questions worth asking parties before you vote Campaign slogans about “jobs” can mean quite different things. You could ask every party the same questions: 1. What specific support would a worker made redundant after many years of employment receive, and how soon? 2. Will you fund retraining for experienced workers who need to change industries? Which qualifications and courses would qualify? 3. Will you create jobs directly, subsidise employers to hire people, or rely mainly on economic growth? What is the intended scale? 4. How will your policies help people who are unemployed for several months keep up with rent and essential bills? 5. How will you measure whether your policies have actually reduced unemployment, rather than simply increased business investment? For a consistent comparison, use [Policy.nz's election guide](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and look specifically at benefits, jobs and employment, tax and income support, and wages and working conditions. Those categories connect your immediate financial needs with the longer-term question of where your next job might come from. [Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment)[Election policy tracker: what the parties are promising](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/) The key question for your vote is not just which party promises to create more jobs. It is which combination of income support now, realistic retraining opportunities, and credible routes back into paid work best matches what you need from the next government. ## Gemini Answer ID: c5d3f0d2-9faa-4281-bbef-1056191770b4 Facing redundancy after a long tenure is a stressful situation, particularly when you have immediate living costs like rent to manage. Ahead of the **2026 New Zealand general election**, political parties have staked out distinct positions on how to support displaced workers, handle jobseeker welfare, stimulate job growth, and fund retraining. An overview of what the major parties are offering in terms of employment support, retraining, and job creation reveals several different approaches: --- ### 1. National & Centre-Right Parties (e.g., ACT) * **Focus on Job Creation via Economic Stimulus:** The current approach from the National-led government emphasizes private-sector growth, infrastructure investment, and easing compliance costs for businesses to encourage hiring. * **Welfare and Jobseeker Approach:** National has pursued stricter work obligations and mutual-obligation frameworks for those on jobseeker support (including proposals around drug-testing requirements and sanctions for non-compliance), steering policies toward moving beneficiaries back into work rapidly. * **Industrial and Employment Settings:** Measures supported by parties like ACT focus heavily on workplace flexibility, reducing costs for small businesses, and tightening personal grievance timeframes to lower the risk profile for employers taking on new staff. ### 2. Labour & Centre-Left Parties (e.g., The Greens) * **Targeted Retraining and Apprenticeships:** Labour's policy platform features direct investment in skills and trades training, such as extending Apprenticeship Boost payments to employers, adding toolbox grants, and supporting targeted trades training programmes (including Māori-led trades initiatives). * **Cost-of-Living and Financial Relief:** To ease immediate pressures like rent, Labour is proposing cost-of-relief measures such as phased reductions in student loan repayment rates and broader healthcare support (like free GP visits via a Medicard system) to lower household outgoings. * **Job Creation and Infrastructure:** Labour emphasizes public works through initiatives like their "Start Work Now" programme, injecting capital into school upgrades, hospital repairs, and social housing to directly stimulate construction and related employment. * **The Greens:** Focus heavily on green-transition jobs, investing heavily in renewable energy, domestic resource mapping, and infrastructure, alongside strengthening worker protections, increasing the minimum wage, and bolstering collective bargaining rights. --- ### Practical Support Available Right Now (Regardless of the Election) While evaluating your vote for the upcoming election, remember that there are existing government structures and community avenues you can lean on immediately: * **Work and Income (MSD):** If you are recently redundant and facing immediate hardship with rent, you may be eligible for a **Jobseeker Support** benefit, as well as temporary additional support or an accommodation supplementary payment depending on your asset and income levels. * **Ministry of Social Development Employment Services:** MSD offers free employment transition support, CV assistance, and connection to regional skills hubs or local training grants. * **Inland Revenue (IRD) & KiwiSaver:** Check if you have income protection insurance tied to your mortgages or loans, or look into whether temporary financial relief measures apply to your situation. Are you leaning more toward looking for a direct match in your current industry, or are you actively looking to pivot into a completely new field through retraining? ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: 11101f2a-01fe-4d20-94fa-8ad3cc75d55f Navigating redundancy and worrying about rent is a stressful spot to be in. Heading into the **_7 November 2026 general election_** , political parties are offering distinct approaches to supporting displaced workers, funding retraining, and stimulating job creation. Here is a breakdown of what the major parties are proposing for employment, retraining, and economic support: * * **Labour Party** * **Employment & Income Support:** Proposing a Fair Go Law and targeted support for workers transitioning industries, alongside sector-specific pay equity and wage boosts in care and support roles. * **Retraining & Skills:** Proposing an **Apprenticeship Boost** programme, extended employer payments for apprentices, a $1,000 toolbox grant, and vocational training investments targeted at backing people into skilled and Māori-led work. * **Job Creation:** Proposing a Future Fund for infrastructure and innovation, a Small Business Action Plan to stimulate hiring, and significant public building projects in health and housing. * **Green Party** * **Employment & Income Support:** Focuses on strengthening workforce security and abolishing the sub-minimum training wage so learners aren't forced into financial distress. * **Retraining & Skills:** Enhancing support for trades and apprenticeships by increasing the toolbox allowance to $2,000 and boosting pastoral support for on-the-job learners in high-demand green energy and building trades. * **Job Creation:** Tying job creation directly to a massive scale-up in public home building and renewable energy transition infrastructure. * **ACT Party** * **Employment & Income Support:** Proposing a three-year freeze on the adult minimum wage and the introduction of a training wage (60% of the minimum wage) for workers under 20 during their first year. They have also advanced changes to shorten personal grievance lodgement timeframes to 90 days. * **Retraining & Skills:** Favouring streamlined, market-led on-the-job training pathways rather than heavy centralized polytechnic interventions. * **Job Creation:** Focusing on regulatory and tax relief for businesses, reducing compliance costs, and trimming public sector administration to foster a private-sector-led recovery. * **National / Coalition Government Policies** * **Employment Support:** Current settings emphasize active work-search assistance through Work and Income (MSD) alongside an emphasis on getting beneficiaries back into work quickly through sanction-backed obligations. * **Job Creation & Economy:** Focusing heavily on economic stabilization via control of government spending allowances, infrastructure permitting reform, and easing business regulations to encourage private enterprise hiring. [The Conversation] * To help narrow down which approach best fits your situation, would you prefer to focus on policies that offer **immediate financial/benefit support for rent** , or are you more interested in **free/subsidised retraining options** to pivot industries? ## AI Overviews Answer ID: 9816c554-6682-4207-9e84-ccd80f502dd1 Going through a redundancy after years in the same industry is incredibly stressful, especially with rental commitments hanging over your head. Across New Zealand, political parties are targeting workers in your exact position ahead of the **2026 general election** , as the country faces an 11-year high unemployment rate of 5.6%. Depending on whether you want to focus on immediate income security, a fully supported pivot into retraining, or entering a newly created industry, major parties offer very different pathways: Policy Comparison for Redundant Workers Feature / Support Area| National Party| Labour Party| Green Party ---|---|---|--- **Immediate Welfare Support**| Firm "work-ready" focus; lower Jobseeker rates for those repeatedly on the benefit.| Reviewing redundancy provisions in the Employment Relations Act to boost worker support.| Proposing an overhauled social safety net with a "liveable income" model. **Retraining & Industry Shifts**| Emphasis on faster work placement and targeted early interventions.| Expanding the "Apprenticeship Boost" scheme and investing in Māori trades training.| Abolishing lower "training wages"; giving $2,000 grants for tools/equipment. **Job Creation & Growth**| Forecasting 220,000 new jobs by 2030 via small business backing and infrastructure.| Focusing on highly skilled employment, an AI Action Plan, and clean energy jobs.| Creating infrastructure jobs via a "Jobs for Young People" pilot and renewable transitions. * * * National Party: "Firm but Fair" Return to Work The National Party focuses heavily on active, rapid re-employment and reducing regulatory blockages for employers to stimulate hiring. * **Employment Support:** National’s approach prioritizes getting job seekers into work quickly. Their welfare package introduces tighter rules, including increased waiting periods to claim a benefit if you leave a job voluntarily (up to 26 weeks) and early intervention programs for 30,000 work-ready job seekers. * **Job Creation:** National is campaigning on structural economic growth, aiming to generate **220,000 jobs by 2030**. They plan to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) and fund major infrastructure projects to spur private-sector employment. Labour Party: Training Boosts and Employment Protections The Labour Party centers its 2026 platform on strengthening worker security and lowering living costs while you retrain. * **Employment Support:** Labour has promised to review minimum redundancy compensation under the Employment Relations Act so workers receive better financial padding if they lose their jobs. They are also introducing cost-of-living reliefs like capped public transport fares ($10–$20 max weekly) to alleviate pressure on job seekers. * **Retraining & Upskilling:** If you decide to change careers, Labour is heavily backing their Apprenticeship Boost program to help workers transition into trades. They are also planning an "Office of AI" to assist workers whose industries are being displaced by technology to transition into future-proofed careers. Green Party: Removing Retraining Barriers The Green Party focuses on ensuring that changing careers or surviving unemployment doesn't push people into poverty. * **Retraining Support:** In a major platform announcement, the Greens plan to **abolish the apprentice training wage** (which currently allows employers to pay 80% of the minimum wage). This would instantly raise apprentice pay to the full adult minimum wage. They are also offering a **$2,000 apprentice equipment grant** to pay for tools, uniforms, and materials to help you shift industries without upfront costs. * **Job Creation:** The Greens are proposing a "Jobs for Young People" pilot program (modeled on the previous Jobs for Nature scheme) alongside clean-energy infrastructure pushes designed to create a pipeline of green construction and engineering roles. * * * If you want to look at more niche areas or explore smaller parties (like ACT or Te Pāti Māori), you can track updates directly using tools like the interactive Policy.nz Election Guide. To help me tailor this information for your next steps, could you tell me: * What **industry** did you work in, or what new sector are you thinking about **retraining** for? * Are you looking for immediate **rent/income assistance tools** available right now?