# 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 26 October 2026

[NZ Election 2026 · Edition 6 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/6)

## ChatGPT

Answer ID: 3ebb1ec3-6d97-43d6-8ce7-437587b61fa7

# New Zealand 2026 election: What are parties offering people who lose their jobs?

I'm sorry you're facing redundancy after spending years in the same industry. Losing a job is difficult enough without having to worry about rent and whether your experience will still be valued in the job market.

For your vote in the **7 November 2026 New Zealand general election**, I'd focus on three practical questions:

- **Income security:** What happens while you're unemployed, and what support is available to help you pay the bills?
- **Retraining:** Will you get help gaining new skills, changing industries or completing a qualification?
- **Job creation:** What are parties proposing that might create jobs you could realistically move into?

These are different policy areas. A party might offer more intensive help finding work without funding substantial retraining. Another might invest in infrastructure or apprenticeships to create opportunities, but not provide much additional support to someone who has just lost their job.

The comparison below draws on published 2026 election policies and campaign announcements available as of 26 October 2026. Some proposals are more fully developed than others, and campaign promises are not the same as enacted policy. [stories.theconversation.com](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [labour.org.nz](https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/main-parties-vying-form-new-zealands-next-government-2026-10-12/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

## 1. What the main parties are proposing

### National: More intensive job-search support and stronger benefit requirements

National's approach centres on helping people move into employment while maintaining firm expectations for people receiving benefits.

Its published 2026 proposals include:

- **More help finding work:** More intensive, employment-focused support for 30,000 work-ready jobseekers who have received a benefit for more than a year.
- **Support for young jobseekers:** More funding for employment programmes aimed at helping young people into work.
- **Focus on growing industries:** Preparing people for opportunities in primary industries, construction and infrastructure, tourism, and hospitality.
- **Stricter benefit conditions:** From 1 April 2028, reducing Jobseeker payments for people who have received the benefit for two of the previous three years, with a smaller reduction for households with dependent children.
- **Random drug testing:** Introducing drug testing for Jobseeker recipients as part of employment planning, with sanctions for continued non-compliance.

National's programme puts more emphasis on employment services, job-search expectations and moving into available vacancies than on a broad, new retraining entitlement. Its policy identifies industries where it expects employment opportunities to grow, but that does not guarantee a vacancy for someone changing careers. [national.org.nz](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/walfare?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Read the party's full proposal: [National's welfare policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/walfare?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### Labour: Apprenticeships, infrastructure projects and support for businesses

Labour's published *Good Jobs Plan* combines vocational training with investment intended to create work.

Its proposals include:

- **Apprenticeship Boost:** Extending employer payments, providing a $1,000 toolbox grant and covering five additional trades.
- **Start Work Now:** Investing in social housing, improvements to more than 2,000 schools and hospital repairs, with the programme intended to support nearly 30,000 apprentices.
- **Māori vocational training:** Investing $21 million annually in Māori-led training programmes.
- **Small-business support:** Measures intended to help small businesses grow, alongside a target for 15% of government contracts to go to New Zealand small businesses and start-ups.
- **Graduate employment:** A job guarantee for graduate nurses, with roles offered at graduation from 2027.
- **Employment conditions:** Restoring pay equity legislation and bringing back Fair Pay Agreements.

Labour's approach is particularly relevant if you're considering a trade or another occupation connected to construction, housing, infrastructure or public services. However, Apprenticeship Boost is primarily employer-focused; it isn't a universal grant that automatically pays for any retraining you choose. Start Work Now is also a proposed investment programme, not a guarantee of a job for every person made redundant. [labour.org.nz](https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Read more: [Labour's 2026 election policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### Green Party: A jobs guarantee for young people and more support for apprentices

The Green Party has announced a programme called *Good Jobs for All of Us*, which combines direct employment opportunities with training support.

Its proposals include:

- **Youth Jobs Guarantee:** A guaranteed pathway into education, training or a new job for every 16- to 24-year-old who has been out of work for six months.
- **Community jobs:** Creating additional jobs involving local infrastructure, community services and environmental restoration.
- **Better apprentice pay:** Abolishing the training wage so apprentices can earn more while learning.
- **Equipment grants:** Providing apprentices with a $2,000 grant towards tools, uniforms and course materials.
- **Training support:** An additional $30 million annually for Māori- and Pasifika-led training, including job matching and support to complete qualifications.
- **Employer incentives:** A $2,000 completion bonus for employers who support apprentices to progress through their qualifications.

The youth jobs guarantee is targeted at younger people, so it would not directly cover most older workers made redundant. The apprenticeship measures could be relevant to people changing careers, although they are specifically designed around apprenticeships rather than every form of vocational education. [greens.org.nz](https://www.greens.org.nz/good_jobs_for_all_of_us?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [greens.org.nz](https://www.greens.org.nz/greens_announce_jobs_guarantee_for_young_people?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [greens.org.nz](https://www.greens.org.nz/green_party_to_abolish_training_wage_and_provide_more_support_for_apprentices?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

The Greens' programme is distinctive in explicitly proposing publicly supported jobs for a defined group of unemployed young people. That is different from relying on private employers to create vacancies.

Read more: [Green Party jobs policies](https://www.greens.org.nz/good_jobs_for_all_of_us?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### ACT: Stronger benefit conditions and fewer barriers for employers

ACT's approach puts emphasis on personal responsibility, reducing employment-related regulation and changing how some benefits are administered.

Its published proposals include:

- **Benefit management:** Requiring electronic money management for Jobseeker Support recipients classified as work-ready who remain on the benefit for more than four months. The payment card would be restricted to specified essentials.
- **Medical assessments:** Tightening the assessment process for health-related benefits.
- **Employer flexibility:** Proposing changes intended to make it easier for employers to terminate employment relationships.
- **Training wages:** Proposing a lower training wage for workers under 20.
- **Business regulation:** Reducing compliance costs for employers and making it easier for businesses to operate and hire.

ACT's argument is that stronger expectations and fewer barriers for employers can encourage employment. However, its benefit-management proposals would also impose additional restrictions on some unemployed people.

For someone in your position, the distinction is that ACT's published programme focuses more on benefit administration and employer flexibility than on a broad, publicly funded retraining scheme for redundant workers. [act.org.nz](https://www.act.org.nz/news/act-announces-policy-to-make-benefits-a-hand-up-not-a-way-of-life?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [stories.theconversation.com](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Read more: [ACT's welfare policy](https://www.act.org.nz/news/act-announces-policy-to-make-benefits-a-hand-up-not-a-way-of-life?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### New Zealand First: Wages and household income

New Zealand First's published election proposals include:

- Increasing the minimum wage by at least the rate of inflation.
- Making a temporary increase to the in-work tax credit permanent and increasing it further.
- Making a temporary increase to Working for Families in-work tax credits permanent.

These measures are principally aimed at wages and household income for eligible people who are working, particularly families. They are not, by themselves, a direct retraining or job-placement programme for someone who has lost their job.

The party also proposes changes to electricity and supermarket markets, which it says would address market concentration and costs. Those measures could affect household expenses, but any effect on job creation would depend on how the policies were implemented and how businesses responded. [stories.theconversation.com](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### Te Pāti Māori: Māori-led employment and training

Te Pāti Māori's relevant employment proposals include support for Māori-led training and employment initiatives. Labour's policy tracker also identifies Māori employment and vocational training as areas of party policy across the campaign.

The details and eligibility conditions matter here: a Māori-led programme may be particularly relevant to eligible Māori workers, but it should not be assumed to be a universal retraining entitlement for all redundant workers. [stories.theconversation.com](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [policy.nz](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

### The Opportunity Party (TOP): Innovation and business growth

TOP's published proposals include increasing investment in research and development, introducing tax credits to encourage technology investment, and helping small businesses adopt digital tools.

These policies focus on innovation and business productivity as routes to economic growth. They may support job creation indirectly, but they are not equivalent to a guaranteed job, a redundancy payment or a personal retraining grant. [stories.theconversation.com](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [policy.nz](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

---

## 2. Comparing the parties on the issues that matter to you

Here's a side-by-side summary of the main differences.

| Party | Help finding a job | Retraining and skills | Creating jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| **National** | More intensive support for selected long-term jobseekers | Focus on preparing workers for growing industries; no broad new retraining entitlement identified in its published welfare policy | Expects growth in construction, infrastructure, primary industries, tourism and hospitality |
| **Labour** | Employment programmes, small-business support and a graduate nurse job guarantee | Expanded apprenticeship support, equipment grants and Māori-led training | Housing, school and hospital projects, apprenticeships and small-business development |
| **Greens** | A guaranteed pathway into work, education or training for eligible young people | Higher apprentice pay, equipment grants and additional training support | Community jobs, environmental restoration and support for apprenticeships |
| **ACT** | Stronger benefit conditions and an emphasis on moving into employment | A lower training wage for workers under 20; no broad new retraining programme identified in the policies reviewed | Emphasis on reducing regulatory barriers and increasing employer flexibility |
| **New Zealand First** | No comparable, broad new job-placement programme identified in the policies reviewed | No comparable, broad retraining entitlement identified in the policies reviewed | Emphasis on wage and household-income measures, alongside market reforms |
| **Te Pāti Māori** | Māori-led employment initiatives | Māori-led training and vocational development | Support for Māori-led economic and employment initiatives |
| **TOP** | No comparable, broad new job-placement programme identified in the policies reviewed | Technology and innovation investment rather than a general retraining entitlement | Research and development, technology investment and small-business productivity |

The descriptions above summarise published proposals, not guaranteed outcomes. The absence of a particular measure from the policies reviewed does not necessarily mean a party has no relevant policy elsewhere. For further comparisons, see the independent [2026 election policy tracker](https://stories.theconversation.com/nz-policy-tracker-2026/) and [Policy.nz's employment policy comparison](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment).

## 3. What about your rent while you're looking for work?

This is an important distinction: **election promises about creating jobs won't necessarily help you pay next month's rent.**

Your immediate financial position depends on existing entitlements as well as what parties are proposing for the future.

In New Zealand, you can contact [Work and Income](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/) to discuss your circumstances, including:

- **Jobseeker Support:** Whether you're eligible for income support while looking for work.
- **Accommodation Supplement:** Whether you qualify for help with rent, depending on your income, assets, housing costs and circumstances.
- **Other financial assistance:** Whether you qualify for help with essential costs while your income has fallen.

Eligibility conditions apply, and not everyone qualifies for every form of assistance. You don't need to wait for the election to investigate the support currently available.

It's also worth checking your redundancy agreement and final pay arrangements, including any notice pay and unused annual leave. These can affect your finances during the transition.

## 4. Should you retrain or look for similar work?

That decision depends partly on how quickly you need income and whether your existing skills are transferable.

There are three practical routes worth considering.

### Option A: Find similar work first

If you have substantial experience in your industry, look for comparable roles before committing to a new qualification.

Your skills may also be useful in a related industry, even if your previous job title doesn't exist there.

**Election policies to examine:** National's employment-support approach and Labour's proposals for business development and employment opportunities.

### Option B: Retrain for a related occupation

You may not need to start from scratch. A short qualification, industry certification or targeted course might allow you to move into a related occupation without losing the value of your previous experience.

For example, someone moving from manufacturing might investigate maintenance, logistics, quality assurance or technical operations, depending on their background.

**Election policies to examine:** Labour's apprenticeship measures and the Greens' proposals for apprentice funding and training support.

Remember that apprenticeship grants and employer subsidies have eligibility requirements. They should not be assumed to cover the cost of any course you choose.

### Option C: Change industries completely

If your industry is shrinking or the same jobs are disappearing, a career change may be worth considering.

Before paying for training, investigate:
- Whether employers are actually recruiting in the new field.
- How long the qualification takes and what it costs.
- Whether you can study while earning an income.
- Whether financial assistance is available.
- Whether the qualification leads to realistic job opportunities.

The parties' plans for infrastructure, housing, healthcare, tourism and technology may point to areas of policy interest, but **a proposed investment in an industry is not proof that suitable jobs will be available where you live**.

## 5. What should you look for when deciding how to vote?

Given your situation, I'd suggest assessing each party against four questions rather than relying on broad promises about economic growth.

1. **Income protection:** What happens to someone who has lost their job through redundancy and needs help covering essential expenses?
2. **Practical retraining:** Will the party help pay for training, provide an income while studying, or make it easier to access existing programmes?
3. **Access to employment:** Are its proposals likely to create opportunities for experienced workers changing careers, or are they aimed at a narrower group, such as young jobseekers or apprentices?
4. **Timeframe and funding:** When would the policy start, who qualifies, and how is it funded?

Pay particular attention to the distinction between a policy that creates vacancies and one that helps you qualify for and secure those vacancies.

A party can support economic growth without offering much direct assistance to someone between jobs. Conversely, an employment programme can provide a pathway into work without substantially changing the wider economy.

### My overall summary

The clearest differences in the published proposals are:

- **National:** More intensive employment support for selected jobseekers, alongside stricter benefit requirements.
- **Labour:** A combination of apprenticeship support, public infrastructure investment and measures to encourage small-business growth.
- **Greens:** Directly supported employment pathways for young people, alongside additional assistance for apprentices.
- **ACT:** Stronger benefit conditions and a focus on reducing barriers for employers.
- **New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori and TOP:** Different emphases on household income, Māori-led training and employment, and innovation-led economic development, respectively.

None of these broad policy approaches, by itself, establishes that you'll receive enough financial support to retrain or that a suitable job will be available when you need one.

**The most useful next step is to compare the parties' proposals against your own work history and financial needs.** I can help you explore [which parties' policies are most relevant to retraining](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment) or [what financial support may be available after redundancy](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/).

## Gemini

Answer ID: e075830f-7308-47eb-9c52-fcf6a8f5b7b7

Navigating redundancy after spending years in the same industry is a massive and stressful life pivot, especially when balancing immediate financial pressures like rent. 

Ahead of the **2026 New Zealand general election**, political parties have put forward distinct economic strategies, job creation targets, and retraining or support frameworks. Different parties approach the problem through contrasting lenses—ranging from broad economic growth and business incentives to targeted retraining and direct public sector investment.

---

### 1. Broad Economic Growth & Job Creation Strategies
Parties differ significantly on how they plan to stimulate the wider job market:

*   **National:** Focuses on broad economic growth and business confidence to generate jobs. Their platform targets an average economic growth rate to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs over the next few years. Their strategy relies on infrastructure building (roads, schools, hospitals), resource management and consenting reform (replacing the RMA to speed up development), pursuing international trade deals, and backing small-to-medium enterprises.
*   **Labour:** Emphasizes direct state-backed support and industry-specific programs. Their approach includes targeted infrastructure upgrades through structured work programmes and initiatives designed to make it easier for small businesses to take on staff and apprentices. 
*   **Green Party:** Focuses heavily on green infrastructure, climate adaptation, and transition industries, aiming to stimulate hundreds of thousands of new jobs over a multi-year rollout by shifting investment toward regional renewable energy, lower-emissions transport, and public works. 

---

### 2. Retraining and Upskilling Support
If you are weighing whether to pivot industries entirely, retraining policies vary by political alignment:

*   **Labour & Left-Bloc Parties:** Tend to favor structured, state-supported training schemes. Labour features initiatives such as extended employer payments for apprenticeships (like expanding Apprenticeship Boost grants), tool grants, structured mentoring, and specific Māori-led trades training funds and programs. The Green Party also emphasizes public education pathways and support for workers transitioning out of declining or carbon-intensive industries.
*   **National & Right-Bloc Parties (e.g., ACT):** Focus more heavily on reducing regulatory barriers for businesses to encourage on-the-job training and private enterprise. ACT, for instance, has proposed measures like introducing lower training-wage structures to encourage employers to take on younger or inexperienced staff, alongside tax incentives for digital and software investments to boost productivity. 

---

### 3. Immediate Employment Support and Workplace Rules
How parties manage the transition for people currently looking for work also shapes your options:

*   **Welfare and Support Systems:** Parties on the left generally advocate for stronger income safety nets, higher baseline support for jobseekers, and robust, state-funded employment services. Parties on the right focus on active labor market policies that incentivize swift re-entry into the workforce, sometimes paired with stricter obligations or sanctions for benefit recipients.
*   **Employment Law & Security:** Left-leaning parties generally propose strengthening collective bargaining rights, extending union access, and increasing minimum employment protections. Conversely, right-leaning parties focus on reducing compliance costs for employers (such as streamlining employment dispute resolutions or freezing minimum wage increases to stimulate hiring appetite).

---

### Immediate Next Steps for Your Situation
While evaluating what the political parties offer for the long-term shape of the economy, consider these immediate practical steps available in New Zealand right now:
1.  **Work and Income (MSD):** If you have been made redundant, check your eligibility for the **Jobseeker Support** benefit immediately to help cover rent and living costs while you evaluate your next move. MSD also offers transition-to-work grants and can point you toward Ministry-funded skills training or CV-writing workshops.
2.  **Tertiary Education Commission / Skills Organisations:** Look into local polytechnics (Te Pūkenga network / regional providers) or industry training organizations (ITOs) regarding short courses, micro-credentials, or free/subsidized vocational training options if you choose to retrain.

Are you leaning more toward looking for a direct role in your current field, or are you actively looking into what it would take to retrain for a completely different industry?

## Google AI Mode

Answer ID: 2c675a14-1c88-4868-b2aa-c8ba257305e4

**Political parties in _New Zealand_ approach job loss through distinct economic strategies, balancing active workforce training, direct income and employment support (such as Jobseeker-related settings), and broader pro-growth or sector-specific job creation policies.**

As a voter navigating redundancy and immediate living costs like rent, major party approaches generally fall into key strategic categories:

Overview of Main Party Approaches to Job Loss & Re-employment

Party / Bloc Focus| Employment Support & Income Assistance| Retraining & Upskilling| Job Creation & Economic Strategy
---|---|---|---
**National / Centre-Right Coalition**| Focus on active work-matching, tightening benefit/welfare criteria or medical-certificate settings, and reducing compliance costs for business.| Emphasizes industry-led or targeted vocational training rather than large-scale state training programs; support for regional economic infrastructure.| Regulatory reform, tax relief or investment incentives for business, and streamlining employment termination/hiring rules.
**Labour / Centre-Left**| Traditional focus on social security safety nets (Jobseeker support), industry transition backing, and working-family income support.| Support for targeted regional and sector retraining, industry-specific workforce planning, and targeted partnership training schemes.| Public-led or partnership infrastructure projects, support for clean energy/manufacturing transitions, and regional development initiatives.
**Green Party**| Expanded income security proposals (such as exploring universal income or baseline supports) and stronger protection for displaced workers.| Māori-led and community-focused training funds, ecosystem/green job training programs, and structured AI/automation workforce planning.| Direct job guarantee programs focused on public works, ecological regeneration, and green infrastructure.
**ACT Party**| Emphasis on lowering barriers to hiring, reforming employment law (including flexible termination rules), and reducing welfare dependency through active transition incentives.| Encouraging private training markets and employer-led on-the-job training.| Free-market economic policies, tax reduction, freezing or reforming minimum wage structures (like youth/training tiers) to stimulate private enterprise hiring.

* * *

Key Practical Options Available Right Now (Regardless of Election Policy)

While you weigh how party policies might affect the broader economy long-term, immediate practical steps exist for handling rent and transition:

 1. **Check Your Redundancy Entitlements:** Ensure your employer has followed a genuine, good-faith consultation process, paid out your notice period, accrued holiday pay, and any contractual redundancy compensation.
 2. **Explore MSD / WINZ Support Immediately:** If you face a gap before your next job, you can apply for [Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) Jobseeker Support](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz) or accommodation assistance (such as the Accommodation Supplement to help with rent). Applications can often be started online via [MyMSD](https://www.msd.govt.nz) even during your notice period.
 3. **Weighing Retraining vs. Job Hunting:**
 * _Immediate Job Hunt:_ Keeps cash flow steady faster, especially if your core skills are still in demand locally.
 * _Retraining:_ Look into short-term targeted upskilling or NZQA-approved micro-credentials if your industry is in structural decline, though factor in living costs/rent while studying.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

 * What **industry or trade** you were made redundant from
 * Whether you are leaning towards **staying in that field** or **switching careers entirely**

I can share more relevant training resources or support paths.

## AI Overviews

Answer ID: 40b33783-3923-4124-aba6-7666d160bc48

I am sorry to hear you are dealing with a redundancy; managing fixed costs like rent while navigating a sudden career transition is incredibly stressful.

For the **2026 New Zealand general election** , the major political parties offer distinctly different philosophies on handling job losses, retraining, and employment support. The current National-led coalition leans heavily toward business-led growth and flexible employment laws, while the center-left opposition focuses on direct state-backed support, retraining incentives, and job creation funds.

* * *

1\. Employment & Financial Support

If you need immediate income support to cover rent, the parties view welfare and worker protections through very different lenses.

 * **National & ACT:** Focus on a flexible, employer-friendly framework. ACT’s manifesto pushes to tighten medical certifications for benefits and introduced policies making it easier for businesses to handle terminations. Their core priority is reducing government spending to lower inflation, counting on a private-sector recovery to lower your living costs.

 * **Labour:** Focuses on unwinding the coalition’s employment law changes to restore stronger employee protections. They advocate for a fairer deal for workers, which historically includes stronger redundancy consultations.

 * **Green Party:** Focuses on overhauling income support to guarantee livable incomes for those out of work. They also advocate for eliminating the "training wage" so that anyone transitioning into entry-level or apprentice roles receives full adult minimum wage immediately.

* * *

2\. Retraining & Vocational Education

If you are deciding whether to step away from your old industry entirely, your retraining options would be subsidized differently depending on who is in government.

 * **Labour:** Offers an **Apprenticeship Boost expansion** and has pledged $21 million a year to vocational training. They have also proposed targeted funding for specific sectors, such as a **mold trades training commitment** , and a student loan write-off scheme (cutting 10% off eligible loans) to reduce the debt burden of acquiring new qualifications.

 * **Green Party:** Focuses heavily on reducing the financial risk of pivoting careers. They have promised **universal weekly paid placements** for students completing practical training in high-demand fields like teaching, nursing, and social support work so that you don't go broke while retraining.

 * **National:** Focuses on linking education with immediate workforce readiness, ensuring training paths directly line up with gaps in the private sector rather than expanding broad universal subsidies.

* * *

3\. Measures to Create New Jobs

If you decide to look for work immediately, the environment you look in will be shaped by the following job-creation strategies:

 * **National:** Targets **macroeconomic growth** to generate an estimated **220,000 jobs by 2030**. Their approach relies on replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) to speed up building, cutting red tape for small businesses, signing international trade deals, and introducing tax credits for digital tools and technology investments.

 * **Labour:** Proposes a state-driven **NZ Future Fund** (modeled on Singapore’s investment strategy) to inject capital into domestic infrastructure and innovation. They also aim to stimulate jobs by spending $4 billion to build 6,000 social housing units and offering a **Small Business Action Plan** with tax write-offs for new equipment.

 * **Green Party:** Has launched an economic development plan aiming to create **284,000 jobs** over four years, largely focused on green infrastructure, nature protection, and home building. They have also introduced a **Jobs Guarantee for young people** (ages 16–24) out of work for six months, though this may not apply depending on your career stage.

* * *

Summary of Party Positions

Policy Area| National / ACT Coalition| Labour Party| Green Party
---|---|---|---
**Philosophy**| Business-led growth; reducing red tape; flexible employment laws.| State-backed investment; stronger worker protections.| Government-funded green jobs; heavily subsidized career pivots.
**Retraining**| Targeted vocational pathways aligned directly with industry demand.| Apprenticeship Boost; trades training funding; 10% student loan discount.| Universal weekly payments for practical placements; abolishing training wages.
**Job Creation**| Goal of 220,000 private-sector jobs via RMA reform and tax credits.| NZ Future Fund; $4B social housing build; small business incentives.| Green economic development plan targeting 284,000 climate/community jobs.

If you need help exploring immediate next steps, please let me know:

 * What **industry** you just left and what your **transferable skills** are.

 * Whether you are leaning toward a **complete career pivot** or staying close to your previous role.

 * If you need assistance navigating **Work and Income (WINZ)** rules regarding redundancy stand-down periods.