Three overlapping side-profile faces in monochrome, fading from dark to light on a black background

The Profile Report 2026: CANTERBURY LABOUR MARKET

The Canterbury Engine

Canterbury remains the standout regional labour market in New Zealand. While national unemployment sits at 5.4% and Auckland/Wellington vacancy volumes have been mixed, Christchurch and the wider region have kept adding both ads and filled jobs, with the country’s lowest unemployment at 3.6%.

The Profile Report logo above a red watering can watering green leaves