IT workers struggling in New Zealand's tight job market

Summary

Photo: Unsplash / Sigmond IT professionals appear to be under growing pressure in 2025, with signs of continued job losses as companies respond to economic gloom and expand the use of artificial intelligence. In May, Microsoft announced it would cut approximately 6000 jobs - about 3 percent of its global workforce. The American tech giant said the move was part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and accelerate its AI initiatives. In New Zealand, Health New Zealand confirmed in April it would slash hundreds of IT jobs - about a third of all roles. Some job seekers have described the tech job market as a "nightmare", citing fierce competition and a shortage of opportunities that have made finding employment increasingly difficult. James Zhang spent more than a year applying for IT jobs from China without success. A software developer with roughly 12 years of experience, Zhang has previously held roles at several prominent technology firms in Beijing, including ride-hailing platform DiDi as well as Tencent, the company behind social media platform WeChat. Zhang said one factor behind his decision to seek work in New Zealand's technology sector was the so-called "curse of 35" - a term widely used in China to describe age discrimination in the tech industry, where workers over 35 often face greater risk of layoffs and increasing difficulty securing new roles. "I've had colleagues being laid off continuously since 2018, and it's often the older ones," he said. "In large tech companies, it's common to expect your age to align with your position - for example, by 35, you're supposed to be in a management role. If you're not, the company might see you as underperforming or no longer valuable." Photo: 123rf Zhang, 34, said he began applying for overseas IT jobs from China in 2023, targeting companies in countries such as New Zealand and Canada. However, he said responses from New Zealand employers were rare. "I probably submitted hundreds of CVs to New Zealand tec...