Returning expats may find it tough

Expat Kiwis returning home may struggle to find vacancies as jobs are taken by those who never left.

Professional services firms report a slowdown in the traditional exodus as jobs in London and other traditional overseas destinations dry up. Stories of more Kiwis returning home as the international employment market tightens clash with rising jobless figures locally.

The New Zealand Reserve Bank predicts unemployment will rise substantially in coming years, with some market commentators predicting as many as seven per cent of Kiwis will be jobless. Unemployment is now about 4.2 per cent.

Ross Buckley, KPMG partner in charge of people, performance and culture, said there had been a shift in power from the employee to the employer.

“We've probably seen a swing back to the power being with the employer, after having employees being more demanding with their conditions, people are now going for job security and stability and being appreciative of a good job.”

A slowdown in work had meant KPMG was no longer “recruiting aggressively”, but still received more than 100 applications a week, Buckley said.