An amendment to legislation in 2009 enabled New Zealand firms with fewer than 20 employees to hire new workers on trial periods. The scheme was subsequently extended to employers of all sizes. The policy was intended to encourage firms to take on more employees, and particularly more disadvantaged job seekers, by reducing the risk associated...

This report examines the impact of Australia's temporary work visa programs on the Australian labour market and on the temporary work visa holders. Although a range of varied and specific matters were raised during the course of the inquiry, certain themes run across one or more of the temporary visa programs. The report is therefore...

Australia’s Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) permits workers from eight Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to work in Australia for a period of fourteen weeks to six months. The program centers on the horticulture sector, but is currently being trialed in four other sectors that were also perceived as suffering from labor shortages: accommodation, aquaculture, cotton...

Employment forecasts over the three years to March are presented in this report. Purpose Employment forecasts over the 3 years to March 2017 are presented in this report. These employment forecasts will be used to inform the Ministry’s advice relating to immigration priorities, and priority setting for tertiary education and industry training over the next...

The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) policy allows the horticulture and viticulture industries to recruit workers from overseas - mostly from the Pacific Islands - for seasonal work when there are not enough New Zealand workers. Under the scheme employers can bring in up to 9,000 workers a year.