New findings indicate 'significant improvements' for sectors in New Zealand
The percentage of hospitality and tourism employees who said they wanted to leave the sector saw a major drop in 2024, according to a new government report, which revealed significant improvements in the sector.
The report found that only 18.3% of hospitality and tourism employees indicated that they want to leave the sector in the next 12 months, a massive decline from the 33.7% in 2022.
They belong to nearly a third of respondents (31.7%) who said they want to leave their current job, according to the report.
The top reason for wanting to leave their current position, as well as the sector, is poor pay and/or getting a better-paid job. Long hours and poor work-life balance were also cited by some of the respondents.
The drop in intentions to leave the sector comes amid reported "significant improvements" in the sector, according to the research, which gathered 1,031 responses from the workforce.
It revealed that 57.2% of the respondents believe that training opportunities in the sector are good, a massive increase from the 40.5% in 2022.
Overall job satisfaction also increased to 67.5% in 2024, up from 62.2% in 2022. Employees who reported that they enjoyed their work also increased to 72.0%.
"It was particularly great to read most respondents reported good training opportunities at work and the percentage of respondents that indicated they intend to leave the hospitality and tourism sector dramatically reduced," said Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey in a statement.
Respondents who were being paid less than the minimum wage also plunged to 0.9% in 2024, down from 7.5% in 2022. Those who indicated that they were being paid fairly also went up by 10.0%. Other key improvements noted in the report include:
Meanwhile, Doocey noted that there is "room for improvement" in some aspects of the sector, such as bullying and harassment, which have not shown improvement.
According to the report, respondents who experienced bullying or harassment stayed at 23% from the 2022 survey. Those who also witnessed these incidents were at 32.4%, very similar to the 33.9% in 2022.
"Our tourism sector plays a vital role in showcasing the best of New Zealand to the world and driving our economy, contributing billions annually. It's crucial that the workplaces behind it are safe, welcoming, and supportive for all," Doocey said.
The findings come ahead of the Hospitality Summit at Parliament next week, which will gather leaders and representatives in the sector.
"As the tourism sector continues to bounce back, workforce will be a key part as we look to the future. I look forward to hearing directly from the sector tangible actions that can be done to deliver better outcomes for hospitality and tourism workers," Doocey said.
