IT workers struggling in New Zealand's tight job market

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

NZ IT Job Market Conditions

  • Commenters say NZ’s economy has been weak, the tech sector is small, and hiring has cooled sharply in the last 1–2 years.
  • Job ads now get “hundreds” of applicants; some note multiple interview rounds followed by ghosting.
  • Others report paradoxical shortages of “top‑tier” talent, but also underemployed senior devs doing “kiddie‑level” work due to lack of complex projects and VC-funded firms.

Immigration, Visas, and Discrimination

  • The linked article’s focus on Chinese immigrants leads to discussion of visa sponsorship hurdles: employers must show no suitable local candidate, which deters hiring abroad.
  • Some suggest NZ employers avoid offshore candidates (e.g., in Beijing) due to geopolitical risk, legal/enforcement issues, and visa hassle, not just bias.

Housing, Cost of Living, and Inequality

  • A major thread describes NZ as broadly unaffordable: average wages around NZ$61k vs houses near NZ$900k; many locals feel locked out unless they bought long ago or arrive with foreign equity.
  • Similar patterns are reported in Australia, UK, Western Europe, Scandinavia, US cities, and Switzerland.
  • Several point to returning expat Kiwis with overseas wealth, wealthy immigrants, no capital‑gains tax, and strong lifestyle appeal as drivers of high prices.

Debate over Causes: Capitalism, Neoliberalism, and Policy

  • One camp frames the housing crisis as “capitalism working as intended,” a deliberate wealth transfer via constrained supply, deregulation benefiting owners, and debt.
  • Others argue it’s less about “ultra‑wealthy” and more about older/upper‑middle‑class landowners whose voting power blocks reform.
  • There is sharp disagreement over “neoliberalism,” YIMBY/supply‑side deregulation vs rent control and social housing; examples from Texas, California, Sweden, UK, Canada, and Vienna are invoked.
  • Some warn that extreme inequality risks crime, unrest, or “guillotines.”

Talent Drain and Small-Market Dynamics

  • NZ is described as too small to offer many senior roles; ambitious workers often leave for London, Australia, or US, then return with capital and buy property.
  • A few see opportunity for foreign firms to hire NZ-based engineers (cheaper than US/EU) if they can work async and accept time-zone challenges.

Government Cuts and “Starve the Beast”

  • One side claims current NZ cuts to public IT (e.g., health, media) follow a “starve the beast” privatization strategy.
  • Opponents call this a left‑wing conspiracy, arguing overspending and COVID outlays forced austerity; both note similar debt trends under different governments.

Hiring Mechanics and Recruiters

  • Several say algorithmic screening and rigid job specs (e.g., DevOps roles demanding every imaginable skill) filter many applicants.
  • Personal recruiter relationships are portrayed as far more effective than cold online applications.