# 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 2 November 2026 [NZ Election 2026 · Edition 8 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/8) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 1aa22efa-7f3d-4219-be62-d4f53cc6d5cc I'm sorry you're facing this, particularly after spending years building experience in one industry. Redundancy can leave you having to make two difficult decisions at once: how to keep the rent paid now, and whether your longer-term career should take a different direction. For the 2026 New Zealand general election, I would look at party policies through three practical questions: 1. Immediate support: What happens to your income while you're unemployed, and how quickly can you get help finding work? 2. Retraining: Will the government help pay for training or qualifications that lead to another career? 3. New employment: Are parties proposing policies likely to create jobs, particularly for people whose industries are shrinking? An important distinction is that helping someone find an existing vacancy is not the same as creating new jobs, and offering training is not necessarily the same as providing financial support while someone retrains. ## 1. What the major parties are offering The following comparison focuses on policies announced for the 7 November 2026 election, rather than relying solely on older election promises. ### National Party Emphasis: getting people back into work National's approach is to encourage employment through economic growth, work-focused assistance and stronger obligations for people receiving benefits. - Employment support: More intensive support for 30,000 work-ready jobseekers who have been receiving benefits for over a year. - Benefit conditions: Stronger expectations for long-term beneficiaries. From April 2028, people who have received Jobseeker Support for two of the previous three years would face a reduced payment. - Job creation: Emphasis on economic growth and opportunities in primary industries, construction, infrastructure, tourism and hospitality. - Retraining: Its approach includes preparing jobseekers for vacancies in growing industries, although its headline welfare announcement focuses more on employment support than a new broad retraining entitlement. What this could mean for you: National is prioritising getting people into available jobs. If your industry is contracting, you would want to investigate how much practical retraining assistance would actually be available to help you change careers. [A firm, fair and affordable welfare system](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/walfare)[Compare NZ Political Parties Side by Side](https://policynavigator.neonz.org/compare?topic=employment) ### Labour Party Emphasis: apprenticeships and investment in jobs Labour has announced a more direct programme of government-supported employment and training. - Employment support: Its Start Work Now programme would create work through building social housing, improving more than 2,000 schools and repairing hospitals. - Retraining: Expanded Apprenticeship Boost, with employers receiving $500 monthly for up to two years, plus a $1,000 toolbox grant for new apprentices. - More training opportunities: Expansion into five additional trades, including road construction and water engineering. - Job creation: Support for nearly 30,000 apprentices through its employment programme. - Small businesses: A target for 15% of government contracts to go to New Zealand small businesses and start-ups. Labour is also proposing Māori-led skills training, with $21 million annually for its Backing Māori into Skilled Work programme. What this could mean for you: Labour's proposals are worth examining if you are considering a move into construction, trades, infrastructure or another occupation where apprenticeships can provide a new entry point. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)[Make a Plan](https://www.labour.org.nz/2026-campaign/make-a-plan/) ### Green Party Emphasis: retraining and creating different kinds of jobs The Greens have a particularly strong focus on supporting workers into new industries and creating employment with environmental and community benefits. - Employment support: A Youth Jobs Guarantee for 16–24-year-olds who have been out of work for six months, offering a pathway into education, training or employment. - Retraining: Support for apprenticeships, paid placements and workers transitioning out of fossil-fuel industries. - Apprenticeship assistance: Abolishing the training wage, providing a $2,000 equipment grant and a $2,000 employer completion bonus. - Targeted training: An additional $30 million annually for Māori and Pasifika-led apprenticeship training and support. - Job creation: A proposed job guarantee for ecosystem regeneration, alongside investment in new industries and infrastructure. One important qualification: the Youth Jobs Guarantee is specifically for younger people, not all redundant workers. What this could mean for you: If you want to retrain for a green industry, conservation, renewable energy or a skilled trade, the Greens' proposals deserve particular attention. [Good Jobs For All of Us](https://www.greens.org.nz/good_jobs_for_all_of_us)[Green Party to abolish training wage and provide more support for apprentices](https://www.greens.org.nz/green_party_to_abolish_training_wage_and_provide_more_support_for_apprentices)[Greens announce jobs guarantee for young people](https://www.greens.org.nz/greens_announce_jobs_guarantee_for_young_people) ### ACT Party Emphasis: personal responsibility and private-sector employment ACT's approach is to make it easier for businesses to employ people and strengthen requirements for those receiving welfare. - Employment support: Greater emphasis on work readiness and expectations for beneficiaries. - Benefit conditions: Electronic money management would become mandatory for Jobseeker Support Work Ready recipients after four months on a benefit. - Job creation: More flexible employment arrangements, fewer regulatory barriers and a business-friendly environment. - Retraining: Less emphasis in its headline employment proposals on publicly funded retraining for redundant workers. What this could mean for you: ACT's argument is that a stronger business environment will generate employment opportunities. However, if you need financial assistance to retrain, its proposed approach is less directly focused on that than Labour's or the Greens'. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/act-announces-policy-to-make-benefits-a-hand-up-not-a-way-of-life)[Compare NZ Political Parties Side by Side](https://policynavigator.neonz.org/compare?topic=employment) ### New Zealand First Emphasis: New Zealand workers and apprenticeships New Zealand First places considerable emphasis on employment opportunities for New Zealanders. - Employment: Prioritising New Zealand workers and limiting immigration to protect local wages and job opportunities. - Retraining: Increasing apprenticeship opportunities and developing the skills needed by domestic industries. - Job creation: Supporting industry, regional development and employment opportunities. - Workplace policy: Emphasis on workplace safety and protecting wages. What this could mean for you: Its approach may appeal if you want to see more investment in New Zealand industries and local employment. However, I would look for more detail about the actual funding available for an experienced worker who needs to retrain. [Compare NZ Political Parties Side by Side](https://policynavigator.neonz.org/compare?topic=employment)["Power to the People" - Winston Peters](https://www.nzfirst.nz/power_to_the_people_sotn_2026) ### Te Pāti Māori Emphasis: Māori employment and economic development Te Pāti Māori places employment within a broader programme of Māori economic development. - Employment support: Addressing Māori unemployment and barriers to meaningful employment. - Retraining: Māori-focused skills development and employment pathways. - Job creation: Investment in Māori businesses and opportunities for young Māori. - Economic development: Its energy sovereignty proposals include building a Māori energy workforce and industry, as well as developing rural energy capability. What this could mean for you: Its policies are particularly relevant to Māori workers and whānau seeking Māori-led economic and employment opportunities. [Compare NZ Political Parties Side by Side](https://policynavigator.neonz.org/compare?topic=employment)[Te Pāti Māori is the assertion of our mana motuhake and our liberation](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/) ### The Opportunity Party (TOP) Emphasis: financial security during career transitions TOP has a particularly different approach to supporting people who lose their jobs. Its proposed Tax Reset includes a Citizen's Income: - Almost all eligible adults would receive up to $370 per week. - The payment would replace most existing benefits, with additional top-ups for some groups. - It would not depend on being unemployed or proving that you are actively seeking work. - TOP argues that the income would allow people to retrain, start businesses or find suitable work without immediately accepting an unsuitable job. - It proposes funding this through a land value tax. This is a significant proposed change, not an existing entitlement. The party also envisages gradual implementation, so the full payment should not be assumed to be immediately available. What this could mean for you: Of the parties considered here, TOP has one of the clearest proposals for giving people a financial buffer while they work out their next career move. [Tax Reset](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/tax-reset)[Brian Fallow takes a close look at the Opportunity Party's tax reset plan](https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/139999/opportunity-partys-proposing-radical-shake-tax-system-through-its-tax-reset) ## 2. Comparing the parties side by side Here is how I would summarise their priorities from the perspective of someone who has just been made redundant. | Party | Help finding work | Retraining | Creating jobs | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | National | Strong focus | Preparing for vacancies | Economic growth | | Labour | Employment programmes | Apprenticeships | Public infrastructure investment | | Greens | Targeted programmes | Strong focus | Green and community jobs | | ACT | Work obligations | Less emphasis | Private-sector growth | | NZ First | Local employment focus | Apprenticeships | Industry and regional development | | Te Pāti Māori | Targeted employment | Māori-led pathways | Māori businesses and industries | | TOP | Universal income rather than conventional jobseeker support | Financial freedom to retrain | Business investment and innovation | This is a comparison of the policies most relevant to your question, not a judgement of each party's entire employment programme. [Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment)[Compare NZ Political Parties Side by Side](https://policynavigator.neonz.org/compare?topic=employment) ## 3. What matters most when you're paying rent There is an important issue that can get lost in election campaigns: you need financial security while you look for your next job. I would pay particular attention to these four things: - Income protection: How much financial support can you receive if you are unemployed for three, six or twelve months? - Housing security: Will you have sufficient assistance with rent while searching for employment? - Training costs: Will the government cover course fees, equipment and living costs while you retrain? - Employment outcomes: Will training lead to actual jobs, or simply another qualification? None of the headline employment policies above amounts to a universal, dedicated redundancy payment or a guaranteed income for every adult who loses their job. Also, don't assume that you must retrain to qualify for assistance. Your existing experience may be transferable to other industries. ## 4. Where I would concentrate your attention Based on the circumstances you've described, I would shortlist four different policy approaches: Labour – practical retraining and job pathways Worth investigating if you want structured apprenticeships, government-backed employment and opportunities in infrastructure or construction. Greens – changing industries and new skills Worth investigating if you want to move into renewable energy, environmental work or other emerging industries. TOP – financial security during transition Worth investigating if your biggest concern is having enough money to pay rent and living expenses while you retrain or search for suitable work. National – returning to employment Worth investigating if you want to remain in the workforce and believe economic growth and private-sector employment will provide the best opportunities. I wouldn't make your decision based on these policies alone. The feasibility of the proposals, their funding and the coalition arrangements after the election will matter too. You can compare the complete policies at [Policy.nz – 2026 incomes and employment](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/incomes-and-employment?utm_source=chatgpt.com). ## 5. One thing I'd like to establish before narrowing this down There is a big difference between someone who has lost a job after 20 years in manufacturing, someone leaving a public-sector role, and someone whose professional skills are still in demand but whose particular employer has downsized. Your existing experience could be worth considerably more than you realise. What industry have you been working in, and roughly how many years of experience do you have? I can use that to identify: - Industries in New Zealand where your existing skills could transfer. - Whether retraining is likely to be worthwhile or whether you could move sideways into another industry. - Which parties' employment and training policies are most relevant to your situation. I'd like to help you assess the election choices not just as an abstract political question, but in terms of which policies could genuinely make a difference to your next few years of working life. --- Worked for 19s Searching the web Searching the web Searching the web Searched 18 websites ## Gemini Answer ID: 92fadfe0-da6d-49df-a477-06a5f3d7eefd Navigating redundancy after spending years in the same industry is a daunting transition, especially with rent and household bills to manage. The major political parties contesting the **2026 New Zealand general election** have put forward distinct policy approaches regarding employment support, retraining, and job creation. A breakdown of what the key parties are offering provides context to help inform your vote: --- ### 1. Labour Party Labour’s economic and employment platform leans heavily on direct public sector job creation and scaling up vocational training: * **Job Creation ("Start Work Now"):** Focuses on immediate infrastructure investment—putting tradies and workers back to work fixing schools and hospitals, and restarting state house building. They also commit to guaranteed jobs for eligible New Zealand-trained nurse graduates. * **Retraining & Apprenticeships:** Proposes extending the *Apprenticeship Boost* scheme (providing $500 a month to employers for up to two years) and introducing a **$1,000 toolbox grant** to cover the initial costs of tools, gear, and course materials for new apprentices. They also pledge targeted Māori-led trades training. * **Employment Support & Rights:** Pledges to restore Fair Pay Agreements, strengthen protections for contractors, roll back recent changes to employment law, and mandate the Living Wage across the public service. ### 2. The Green Party The Greens focus on large-scale economic transition, climate-related employment, and targeted pathways for jobseekers: * **Job Creation:** Outlines an economic development plan aiming to create over 280,000 jobs over four years, particularly focusing on sustainable, low-carbon industries, information and communication technology, and public infrastructure. They also feature a specific youth guarantee (pathways into education, training, or work for young people out of work). * **Retraining & Support:** Emphasizes funding training and workforce development strategies prioritizing localized and community provider pathways. * **Income & Welfare:** Advocates for lifting baseline benefit levels to a liveable income, removing strict work-test sanctions, and establishing a legal right to a minimum income. ### 3. National & ACT (Current Government / Centre-Right Parties) While full manifesto details vary, the current governing configuration and centre-right parties generally focus on economic conditions that encourage private sector hiring rather than direct government job creation: * **Small Business & Private Sector Growth:** Policies are tailored toward lowering the cost and compliance risks of employing people, adjusting company tax structures (such as SME tax relief proposals by NZ First), and stimulating business confidence so that private firms feel secure enough to take on new staff. * **Welfare & Work Incentives:** Tend to emphasize active work-testing for benefit recipients (such as Jobseeker Support) and ensuring that welfare settings actively encourage transitioning back into the workforce as quickly as possible. --- ### Navigating Your Immediate Decision If you are trying to weigh your vote against your personal situation (paying rent while deciding between retraining or job-hunting): * **If you lean toward retraining:** Look closely at policies expanding industry training incentives, micro-credentials, and grants for tools/course materials (such as Labour's apprentice grants or targeted regional training initiatives). * **If you lean toward immediate job creation:** Look at parties promising direct stimulus in public works, infrastructure, healthcare, or regional development. * **Income Safety Net:** If you need immediate financial bridging while looking for work or studying, parties like the Greens advocate for higher benefit floors and fewer sanctions, whereas centre-right parties focus on strict work-readiness and private-sector-led job availability. Are you leaning more toward jumping straight back into a similar role, or are you hoping to pivot into a completely new industry through retraining? ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: b813c6b5-fca2-46e5-af7e-e2bfd998b76b Navigating redundancy and trying to time your next steps—especially with rent to pay and an upcoming election on 7 November 2026—is a stressful position to be in. Across New Zealand, political parties approach job losses, income support, and economic stimulation through different philosophical lenses. To compare what parties are generally offering for employment support, retraining, and job creation, you can review the structured breakdown of approaches below: 1\. Employment Support & Income Assistance * **National and-Centre-Right Parties:** Focus heavily on active work-seeking requirements, shifting people off benefits and back into work quickly, and tightening monitoring for long-term jobseekers. Support is typically channelled through standard Work and Income NZ (WINZ) protocols, emphasizing rapid re-employment, job-matching services, and personal responsibility backed by sanction-based incentives or obligations. * **Labour and Centre-Left Parties:** Generally advocate for strengthening baseline income support, increasing or protecting benefit safety nets, and offering more individualized, case-managed support through public employment services rather than punitive measures. * **Green and Progressive Parties:** Often propose expanding income safety nets—such as exploring or introducing guaranteed universal basic incomes or higher baseline supports—to ease immediate cost-of-living pressures like rent while individuals transition between careers. 2\. Retraining & Upskilling Initiatives * **Mainstream & Coalition Approaches:** Support targeted industry training, apprenticeships, and regional polytechnic/skills frameworks tailored to areas facing acute workforce shortages (e.g., construction, trades, health). * **Targeted/Māori-Led Funds:** Some minor or progressive parties propose specialized, culturally grounded or regional training funds (such as Māori-led job training programmes and funds) or future-of-work workforce plans designed to adapt to structural changes like artificial intelligence and automation. * **General Skills Support:** Most parties recognize the need for subsidized tertiary or vocational training, though they differ on whether funding should be universal, targeted at specific industries, or tied directly to guaranteed regional employment outcomes. 3\. Creating New Jobs & Economic Stimulus * **National and Business-Focused Parties:** Aim to stimulate job creation by reducing regulatory and tax burdens on private businesses, easing compliance, freezing or adjusting minimum wage trajectories to encourage hiring, and boosting infrastructure spending to stimulate private-sector confidence. * **Green and Left-Leaning Parties:** Frequently back state-led or public job-guarantee schemes focused on specific sectors, such as environmental restoration, conservation, or regional ecosystem regeneration projects. They also look toward industry transformation plans to green the economy and create new domestic manufacturing or tech-transition jobs. To explore specific party manifestos side-by-side on income support and employment, you can check out Policy.nz. If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know: * What was your **former industry**? * Are you leaning towards **retraining in a specific sector** (like trades or tech), or trying to find an **immediate job** to cover rent? I can help outline immediate financial support available through Work and Income right now or dive deeper into specific party policies. ## AI Overviews Answer ID: a0e4ba60-9f2e-4250-8bf1-75d4b07480ae Facing redundancy is incredibly stressful, especially with rental commitments and the uncertainty of whether to shift industries. In the **2026 New Zealand general election** , political parties are addressing the rising unemployment rate through distinctly different strategies. Here is what the major parties are offering across employment support, retraining, and job creation to help you weigh your options: 📊 Quick Comparison of Party Platforms Feature| National-Led Government| Labour Party| Green Party| Te Pāti Māori ---|---|---|---|--- **Employment Support**| Incentivized, "firm but fair" Work and Income requirements| Tailored, case-managed support; review redundancy compensation| Focus on support/opportunities rather than punitive sanctions| Tailored support, raising minimum wage to $25/hr **Retraining Focus**| Targeted skill building based on employer business needs| $21M for Māori-led training; expanded apprentice boosts| "Mahi Anamata" workforce agency for future-skills planning| Māori-led job training programmes **Job Creation Strategy**| 220,000 new jobs by 2030 via small business deregulation| Government contracts for small businesses; NZ Future Fund| $4.9B "Jobs for Young People" & 64,000 green tech jobs| Environment and ecosystem regeneration job guarantees * * * 1\. Employment & Redundancy Support * **Labour:** Focuses on reorienting the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) toward "quality, tailored case management" that genuinely matches your capabilities to available work. Crucially, Labour’s 2026 platform pledges to review the Employment Relations Act to look into **minimum compensation redundancy provisions** , providing a better safety net if you lose your job. * **National:** Emphasizes keeping the welfare system "fair, firm and simple." National’s strategy centers on strict work-readiness requirements and obligations through Work and Income to heavily incentivize getting jobseekers off benefits and back into the workforce quickly. * **Greens & Te Pāti Māori:** Oppose what they view as punitive welfare sanctions. They advocate for unconditional living support, with Te Pāti Māori promising to lift the adult minimum wage to $25 per hour to ensure those transitioning into new work aren't forced into poverty. 2\. Retraining & Upskilling * **Labour:** Plans to target training strictly toward regional skill shortages. They are promoting an Apprenticeship Boost scheme and investing $21 million annually into trades training and Māori-led upskilling. They also support high-quality micro-credentials so you can build up recognizable qualifications incrementally while working. * **National:** Believes the best way to retrain is through business-led demand. Their focus is on aligning vocational education with the direct hiring intentions of employers, rather than large-scale, government-run retraining frameworks. * **Green Party:** Proposes a specialized agency called _Mahi Anamata_ (Future Workforce Agency). This agency would proactively map out future economic shifts to fund training pathways into sustainable infrastructure, science, and clean energy. 3\. Measures to Create New Jobs * **National:** Champions a macroeconomic approach to job creation, promising **220,000 new jobs by 2030**. They plan to achieve this through their [Small Business Support Plan](https://www.national.org.nz/policies) (a 47-point deregulation initiative), cutting resource consenting times by 50%, and expanding Free Trade Agreements to stimulate private-sector hiring. * **Labour:** Aims to stimulate local employment by mandating that **15% of government contracts** go to domestic small businesses and startups. They have also proposed a _New Zealand Future Fund_ to improve small businesses' access to capital, enabling them to expand and hire. * **Green Party:** Has announced a **$4.9 billion "Jobs for Young People" guarantee** targeting 16-to-24-year-olds who have been out of work for six months, routing jobs through local councils and iwi. More broadly for all age demographics, their Good Jobs For All of Us policy estimates supporting **64,000 new jobs** in public transport, housing insulation, and environmental construction. * * * If you want to look at how these policies might change your immediate living situation, let me know: * What **industry or sector** you just left? * Whether you are leaning towards **short-term courses** or a **full degree/trade apprenticeship** if you decide to retrain? I can give you more specific details on how each party’s plan impacts that path.