New Zealand election 2026: graduate jobs and part-time workers’ rights

With study, rent, part-time work and a student loan to manage, two questions matter: will there be a realistic job opportunity when you graduate, and will you have fair working conditions while you study?

New Zealand’s general election is scheduled for Saturday 7 November 2026. The comparison below reflects party policies and public positions available as of 26 October 2026. Some policies are still being announced, and proposals would need to be implemented through government decisions or legislation. 2026 Election Q&APolicy scorecards for working people NZCTU

1. What are parties proposing about graduate jobs?

Labour

Labour has promised a job for every eligible New Zealand-trained graduate nurse. It also proposes expanding Apprenticeship Boost to support another 30,000 apprentices, alongside a $1,000 tools grant for apprentices and tradies. Its wider plan includes building and upgrading public infrastructure to support employment. Labour's Cost of Living PlanCutting Student Debt

What this could mean for you: a specific pathway if you study nursing, plus more apprenticeship opportunities. The nursing guarantee is not a guarantee of a job for graduates in every profession.

Green Party

The Greens have announced a Jobs for Young People programme. It would give 16–24-year-olds who have been out of work for six months a pathway into a local job, including work maintaining infrastructure, restoring nature and supporting community services. Greens announce jobs guarantee for young people

What this could mean for you: a possible route into paid work if you meet the age and unemployment criteria. It is not a universal guarantee of a graduate-level job in your field.

National

National's broader economic approach emphasises economic growth and private-sector employment. For graduate opportunities, it is important to check what additional recruitment, training or industry-specific commitments it has made in your intended profession, rather than assuming economic growth guarantees you a job.

ACT

ACT's approach emphasises private enterprise and a more limited role for government in the economy. For your decision, distinguish between policies intended to encourage businesses to hire and a direct commitment to provide a job or graduate placement.

New Zealand First

NZ First emphasises employment for New Zealanders and protecting domestic workers. Its general employment approach is distinct from Labour's specific graduate-nurse guarantee or the Greens' targeted youth jobs programme.

Te Pāti Māori

Its broader economic approach emphasises Māori wellbeing and community investment. For a like-for-like comparison, check its latest specific commitments on graduate recruitment, apprenticeships and employment programmes; I could not verify a directly equivalent universal graduate-job guarantee in the sources reviewed.

The important distinction is that a jobs guarantee, a graduate placement and a policy intended to stimulate job creation are three different things. If you are studying for a particular profession, the availability of jobs in that field may matter more than a party’s overall employment rhetoric.

2. What are parties proposing about part-time workers’ rights?

The clearest documented differences are about job security, pay, leave and whether workers can challenge unfair treatment. The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) published a comparison of parties’ positions on these issues in October 2026. It is a union organisation, so its explanations of the likely effects reflect its perspective; its scorecard also draws on public statements and voting records where National and ACT did not respond to its questions. Policy scorecards for working people NZCTUPolicy scorecards for working people NZCTU

Here is a comparison of the main issues.

Workplace issue	Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori	National and ACT	NZ First
90-day trial periods	Support abolishing them	Support retaining them	Opposes abolishing them
Fair Pay Agreements — sector-wide pay and conditions	Support restoring them	Oppose restoring them	Opposes restoring them
Unfair dismissal protections	Support reversing the 2026 changes	Do not support reversing them	Opposes reversing them
Employee vs contractor status	Support reversing the 2026 changes	Support the new legal test	Opposes reversing the changes
Sick leave and holiday rules	Support repealing the new Employment Leave Act before it takes effect	Support the new law	Opposes repealing it

Source: NZCTU's 2026 policy scorecards. These are positions on specific employment-policy questions, not a complete account of every party's policies. Policy scorecards for working people NZCTUPolicy scorecards for working people NZCTU

What these policies could mean in your working life

1. Keeping your job when you're new

If your employer uses a 90-day trial, your ability to challenge a dismissal can be limited. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori want to abolish trial periods; National and ACT support retaining them. This could matter if you regularly change part-time jobs or are entering your first professional role. Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU

2. Getting fair pay in a low-paid industry

Fair Pay Agreements would allow minimum pay and conditions to be negotiated across an industry. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori support restoring them, while National, ACT and NZ First oppose doing so. Whether this affects you depends on your industry and the agreement's proposed terms. Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU

3. Taking time off when you're sick or need a break

The parties disagree about the Employment Leave Act 2026, which is scheduled to replace the existing Holidays Act framework in August 2028. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori want it repealed before it takes effect; National, ACT and NZ First oppose repeal. The practical effect on your entitlements will depend on the final rules and how they apply to your working arrangement. Policy scorecards for working people NZCTU

4. Being treated as an employee rather than a contractor

If you work through an app, on a casual basis or under a contract labelled as self-employment, your legal status matters. Employees and independent contractors can have different rights to paid leave and other protections. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori want to reverse the 2026 changes to the contractor-status test; National and ACT support those changes. Policy scorecards for working people NZCTUPolicy scorecards for working people NZCTU

One important limitation: these proposals concern general employment law. They do not, by themselves, guarantee that your employer will schedule shifts around lectures, exams or assignments. If predictable hours are your biggest problem, check the specific commitments each party has on roster notice, cancellation of shifts and insecure work.

3. What about money while you're still studying?

Graduate employment is only part of your situation. You also need to cover rent and food while completing your qualification.

Labour — student loan relief

Labour proposes cutting eligible student loan balances by 10%. For people already repaying loans after finishing their studies, the cut is scheduled for 1 April 2027. Current and future students would qualify after spending three years based in New Zealand following their studies. Eligible balances of $2,000 or less would be cleared completely after meeting the relevant conditions. People who benefited from Fees Free are excluded. Labour's Cost of Living PlanCutting Student Debt

This is primarily relief from debt, rather than money for rent or groceries while you're studying.

Greens — support during practical training

The Greens have announced paid placements for students training for nursing, teaching and other essential health and social support work, including a universal weekly payment during practical training. They have also announced a youth jobs guarantee and a plan to abolish the training wage. These are separate proposals, and eligibility would depend on the policy details. Greens announce jobs guarantee for young people

For the other parties, check their latest student-support policies before assuming there is a directly comparable payment or loan reduction. I haven't verified equivalent, comprehensive student-support commitments for every party in this review.

4. Your rights as a part-time worker right now

You don't need to wait for the election to check your existing entitlements.

According to the official Employment New Zealand guidance:

• Minimum wage: from 1 April 2026, the adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour before tax. Different starting-out and training rates apply in specified circumstances.
• Hours worked: employees must receive at least the applicable minimum wage for every hour worked.
• Written agreement: employees must have a written employment agreement.
• Sick leave: eligible part-time employees can qualify for the same 10 days of sick leave per year as other eligible employees, subject to the qualifying requirements. Minimum wage rates and typesMinimum wage rates and types

See Employment New Zealand's minimum wage and employee guidance for the current rules.

5. How to narrow down the issues that matter most to you

Rather than looking for one party that agrees with you on everything, you could compare their policies against your main concerns.

Your circumstances make it especially useful to separate three questions: how you can afford to finish your qualification, how secure and flexible your current job is, and what opportunities will exist when you graduate. A party may have a proposal relevant to one of these without addressing the other two.