The death of the fair go: Why Kiwis are losing faith in the job market

Stuff Money, 1 May 2026

A generation of working New Zealanders is losing faith in the country’s core promise: that hard work leads to stability and a better life. Victoria Mulligan, the co-founder of Design Futures Aotearoa, says this comes down to a breakdown in trust on both the employer and the employee side. Mulligan worries that both young workers entering the workforce for the first time and those in the latter stages of their careers could suffer “learned helplessness,” which leads them to lose hope altogether.

“When we make an effort, and it doesn't produce results, we don't just give up on that single task, but it spills into other things,” she says. Read More