Fred News – June 2026

June Market News with Fred 

Hard to believe we are already at the half way mark for 2026.  Internally Fred finds market fluctuations of the last couple of months potentially steadying out, with less and less talk of the impacts of off-shore unrest, and a clear and consistent rise in permanent and temp demand.  In fact, temp numbers are at an all time high this month. A reminder that a temp is an obligation-free way of taking immediate pressure off teams. Temps are a flexible short and mid term solution to allow you time to figure out hiring plans, by ensuring your current team continues to work optimally without additional workload.

If you haven’t hired a temp with Fred but you’re thinking about it, feel free to reach out and speak with any one of the team to discuss how this might work for you.  Any one of the consultants are happy to help you.  https://fredrecruitment.co.nz/about-fred/

Internal News

Internally we have been busy with some milestone news.  We have secured new premises and will be operational on a different level going forward.  Our new office is based in Grey Lynn, and with more space now we look forward to being able to invite you to us, and to host events in the year.  This milestone move also marks significant growth for the Fred team, to now fifteen incredible staff.

FredMed 

What a year FredMed has had so far.  With the acquisition of Tonix books, and welcoming  Annie O’Donnell with her 15 years experience into the team earlier this year, Khalid, Suzie and Annie have made some incredible networks and the results are genuinely exciting.  The FredMed team works locally and globally to source the best talent, and they’re well worth a chat with, if you’re looking to recruit. Connect with the FredMed team here.

The SME Painpoint

We speak to multiple SME businesses on a weekly basis and one of the trends we hear from business owners is that “HR responsibilities” are becoming more and more. There is a genuine gap when it comes to best business practice or employment law for some, and these can become critical pain points. A significant number of SME’s in NZ are genuinely not aware of, or abiding by best business practices when it comes to their people policies.  This isn’t new, but for small businesses understanding the law in detail is empowering and creates strong employment frameworks.  Leadership teams can often be on entirely different pages to the teams on the ground and the results of this can be catastrophic to team output and stability.  If you’re at all concerned about how you’re working with your team and would like the right support, we highly recommend accessing free advice through https://www.employment.govt.nz/

KiwiSaver Increases

The numbers are out – the KiwiSaver default contribution rate increased from 3% to 3.5% on 1 April 2026.  Individuals could opt for the 3% by choice, however as at mid June 99.5% of us have stayed at 3.5%.  Great to see!

Seek Statistics

Seek reports the job market continues its steady recovery, with job ads increasing for the 18th consecutive month and sitting 11.9% higher than this time last year.  Applications per job ad have risen for the first time since mid-2025, signalling growing candidate confidence.

Other highlights:

• AI skills remain in demand, with AI-related job ads up 3.9% month-on-month.

• Construction, Manufacturing and Transport & Logistics continue to lead hiring growth, driven by major infrastructure projects.

• Growth is extending beyond the main centres, with Canterbury, Southland and the West Coast all recording strong gains.

• Overall, the market is continuing to move in the right direction, with recovery broadening across both regions and key industries.

• Internally we know that supply and demand for product in the construction industry is experiencing a concerning lag.  Demand is on the rise, but supply is under pressure.  A good problem depending on which side of the equation you’re on, but a strong indicator that the construction market is making inroads to a healthy recovery.  Watch this space.