Terms related to work from home are appearing less frequently in New Zealand job advertisements, SEEK data shows.
Keywords such as “remote,” “flexible,” “work from home (WFH),” and “hybrid” have been used to monitor fluctuations in job listings aimed at attracting applicants. While remote work remains a key interest for job seekers, data indicates a decline in its prevalence across job postings.
SEEK data has shown keywords related to working from home (WFH) peaked at 10.3% in September 2023 and then gradually declined to 7.5% by December 2024.
It increased to 8.4% in January.
However, senior SEEK economist Blair Chapman stated that as long as a soft labour market continues to give employers greater leverage in setting terms, working from home arrangements will decline further.
Productivity in Office, Generational Shifts, and AI
The debate over remote work versus office-based productivity continues to simmer. According to Chapman, many business leaders are still holding onto the notion that in-office work is more beneficial, despite limited evidence to support this view.
“A lot of business leaders see the office as a place where people can learn from each other. There’s also the attitude that people are just watching TV at home and are not productive.”
Moreover, Chapman also explained that one reason the trend might reverse is the ongoing retirement of baby boomers, who are gradually exiting the labour market.
“I think as we see the current set of leadership retire, you might see work from home come back in a bigger way, just because those sorts of generational attitudes change.”
Chapman noted that another potential factor that could amplify the loss of WFH jobs in the future is the growing presence of artificial intelligence. In his opinion, the types of jobs that are suitable for remote work often involve tasks at which AI is rapidly improving.
Additionally, Chapman noted that jobs that cannot be performed remotely, such as those in hospitality and construction, are safer than roles in sectors like professional services. This will remain the case, he added, “until we develop humanoid robots sophisticated enough to replace humans in human-to-human service industries.”