54% of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career, with ‘career regret’ spiking amongst Millennial workers.

Financial concerns are the biggest barrier for those who regret their career choice.

More than two in five New Zealand workers (41%) believe they will realistically work into their 70s and beyond.

41% are comfortable making a career change, but only 6% are actively looking at ways to change careers. When thinking about the future of work, over half of Kiwis are feeling optimistic (52%) and hopeful (59%), and 2 in 5 (40%) feel confident.

NEW ZEALAND, 2 April, 2025 - With the average life expectancy and retirement age continuing to climb, leading employment marketplace, SEEK, has released its Evolving Working Life Report, providing insights into how New Zealand workers feel about their working life and careers in 2025 and beyond.

This survey of over 1,000 workers across a broad range of generations, locations and industries* reveals that more than half (54%) of Kiwis regret their career choice, stating they would choose a different career if they had their time over. Not earning enough was the top reason for this regret (50%), followed by interests and passions changing (36%) and their work being unfulfilling (24%).

The Report shows that 41% of New Zealanders are open to the idea of a career change, although only 6% are actively moving towards one. Financial concerns are primarily driving the reluctance to change. Despite this, 85% of workers acknowledge that New Zealanders are working longer than ever before, with more than 2 in 5 (41%) believing they will work well into their 70s or beyond.

Rob Clark, SEEK’s Country Manager, NZ comments: “What stands out from this Report is that money is weighing heavily on the minds of New Zealand workers as the key driver of career regret, and as the top concern when looking forward to the future. Amid persistent cost of living pressures, this could be why almost half of workers are feeling pessimistic about their future working life.”

“Having doubts about your career choice is a very common experience. However, it's important to recognise that a career change is possible at any stage of the working life, and it doesn't have to be overwhelming. With the right support and resources, New Zealanders can make informed decisions, whether they're exploring a complete career shift or just looking to adjust their current path. Our goal is to empower Kiwis to take control of their careers, so they can not only adapt to change but also find purpose and satisfaction in their work at every stage of life.”

Kiwi workers rethink their careers

When asked whether they would choose a different career if they had their time over, Millennial (61%) and Gen Z workers (56%) are more likely to say they would, followed by Gen X (51%) and then Baby Boomers (41%) .

Interestingly, concern about the future longevity of their careers ranks relatively low as a reason for a rethink, with ‘career regret’ instead largely being attributed to: - ‘I don’t earn enough’ - 50%

- ‘My interests/passions have changed’ - 36%

- ‘It’s unfulfilling’ - 24%

- ‘Poor work/life balance’ - 22%

The research uncovered several factors holding Kiwi workers back from making a career change. Alongside financial concerns (50%), the feeling that it’s too late to change (40%) and a lack of relevant qualifications (33%) are top reasons. A number of workers also feel overwhelmed about making a career change, saying they wouldn’t know what they’d do instead (25%) or where to start (24%).

New Zealanders’ top concerns about the future of work

With New Zealand workers acknowledging the likelihood of their longer working life, this Report deep dives further into their biggest concerns when considering the future of work. The top concerns, which show similarities with the reasons for ‘career regret’, are:

- ‘Slow or no salary growth’ - 38%

- ‘Burning out’ - 33%

- ‘Needing to work for a long time to make financial ends meet’ - 25% - ‘Being able to physically do my work’ - 25%

- ‘Poor work/life balance’ - 23%

Gen Z shows the highest concern for the above top three factors compared to older generations, particularly around salary growth (49%). Having a job that doesn’t fulfil their purpose (33%) is also weighing heavily on the minds of the youngest generation.

Despite concerns, there’s a sense of optimism, with more than half (52%) feeling positive about their future careers. There’s also a sense of security, with over half of working New Zealanders (55%) believing that their current role will exist in 10 years, and very few (11%) feeling concerned that their skills and experience will become redundant with technology advancements.

Feeling prepared for the future

New Zealand workers are aware that they will likely be working longer, with nearly 3 in 5 (58%) agreeing that it’ll be out of necessity, rather than by choice. While many workers feel hopeful (59%), confident (40%) and even excited (27%), about the years ahead, SEEK's Career Coach, Leah Lambart, acknowledges that others are finding this prospect overwhelming (21%):

“SEEK’s new Evolving Working Life Report shows we are more agile than we may give ourselves credit for, with nearly two thirds of New Zealand workers having already worked in at least 3 different industries. But, more than a quarter of us still confess to feeling uncomfortable with making a change in our career. Whether it’s a drastic change in industry or even simpler switch-ups in how you work in your current role - if you’re going to be working for longer, it’s even more important to keep an open mind about evolving your career journey throughout your life to make sure it’s right for you.”

About SEEK’s Evolving Working Life Report

*This research was conducted by Nature between October 2024 - February 2025. Sample size was 1,045 working-age New Zealanders.

About SEEK

SEEK is a market leader in online employment marketplaces that span ten countries across Asia Pacific. SEEK invests heavily to create innovative technology products to help people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and help organisations succeed.

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