Why we're trading perks for security

Jack Vale says he was prompted to make a big career change by a desire for more income stability.

He has shifted from working in marketing and pocasting start-ups to working for ASB.

Finding something steady was a big driver.

"And prioritising life goals, not just career dream goals. We bought a house the first week I started and it's opened up the opportunity for us to think more seriously about having kids."

The job offered long-term income prospects.

"It's pretty common in the film and TV industry to be a contractor [or on] loose fixed-term contracts with no benefits or security."

He said, having made the shift, he did not think he would move back again.

New data shows he is not alone. A survey by recruitment agency Randstad found 60 percent of New Zealand workers were prioritising reliable pay and benefits.

"What we are seeing in 2026 isn't a lack of drive from Kiwi workers, but a recalibration of risk. After a challenging economic cycle, the traditional playbook of moving jobs simply to chase a higher title or a bigger paycheque has taken a backseat," Brooke Nelson, general manager of professionals for Randstad New Zealand, said.

"We have potentially entered an 'ambition freeze' where stability is the priority. Workers are essentially saying, 'I will stay put, but my terms of engagement are changing.' They are looking for clear proof of good leadership, transparent communication, and fair practices."

Randstad country director Sarah Bills said it was a shift from a "perks economy" to a "predictability economy".

"Work-life balance, flexibility, however you want to couch that, is still very important but job security has come through as a really strong factor for workers.

"In an uncertain market, job security becomes very important. Employees view stability, on-time pay as being really important and something they look for rather than potentially a promotion or in-house benefits."

Bills said the trend had come through more clearly this year than in previous surveys.

Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan said it was not surprising.

He pointed to employment confidence data out this week that had dropped to the lowest level on record.

"People are sort of realistic, while there's been a bit of a lift in advertising through the latter part of last year and early this year, there's still not a lot of opportunities out there for people and I think over the last two or three months firms have pulled back on that a little bit in terms of advertising and hiring, just to wait and see how the world pans out.;

"A stable job in those sort of conditions is probably worth its weight in gold."

He said the Middle East conflict had pushed back his expectations of a labour market recovery to sometime in the first half of next year.

Jobseekers expressed concern about having their applications assessed by AI.

Three-quarters said they valued human connection through the process.

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