Hybrid job demand climbs as Kiwi workers chase work from home to cut fuel costs

Kiwi workers are showing renewed interest in remote and hybrid jobs, as fuel prices surge.

One career site has reported a doubling of interest in work-from-home roles.

Job marketplace app ZEIL says there is currently a distinct trend of workers seeking flexible working arrangements.

In the 14 days ending March 22, the platform saw applications on remote jobs rise 112%.

ZEIL’s marketing manager Caitlin Langlands said: “job seekers are increasingly prioritising roles that offer flexibility and the ability to work from home, whether that’s fully remote or hybrid”.

That period also saw increased interest in roles allowing employees to split their time between a company site and a remote location, with applications on hybrid roles rising 23%.

Additionally, ZEIL users searching for “Work from Home” increased by 22%.

Remote work searches have jumped as fuel costs rise and workers seek flexibility. Photo / Getty Images

A Stats NZ June 2025 report showed 34% of workers engaged in home-based work regularly, and about 42% of public service employees worked from home at least one day a week.

According to Datacom’s third annual Business Outlook Survey, 55% of the 200 senior managers polled said a hybrid work model best described their company’s way of working.

The shift in job searches comes as Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the Government should be looking at encouraging people to work from home and making public transport cheaper.

He told Ryan Bridge TODAY the Government should look into ways to encourage people to lower their own costs.

“The Government can certainly be showing some leadership and saying to people, ‘if you can reduce your costs by working from home, then you should be encouraged to do that’.”

The Government has announced a support package to help about 140,000 working families with an extra $50 per week through a boost to the In-Work Tax Credit.

The added payment would last for one year or until the price of 91-octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks.

In 2024 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sparked a debate about the country’s work arrangements after ordering public servants back to the office. At the time he considered that working from home was not an entitlement but a privilege needing employer consent.