Employment Hero has released its 2025 Annual Jobs Report, Work in Motion, highlighting how rising living costs, shifting values, and new technology are reshaping the workforce across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The report draws on insights from more than 350,000 small businesses and 2.5 million employees, along with a YouGov survey of 3,635 workers, painting a picture of a workforce under strain but also in transition.
Rising cost pressures reshape choices
The report shows that cost-of-living concerns are the most significant force shaping employment. Nearly half of workers are uncertain whether they could secure a new job within three months if they lost their current role. Despite employment growth of 5.8% in Australia, 2.4% in New Zealand, and 2.6% in the UK, many employees feel financially stretched. Rising expenses are influencing decisions about how and where people work, and even how many jobs they hold.
One of the most notable findings is the rise of “poly-employment”. Around one in three workers globally now holds multiple jobs, with the figure climbing to 36% in Canada and nearly half of young workers aged 18 to 24. In Australia and New Zealand, 43% of employees are taking on extra hours or side jobs. This has been accompanied by an increase in part-time hours, up 1.3% year-on-year in Australia and 3.8% in New Zealand, including an 18% surge among teenagers.
Job mobility and changing priorities
Workers are also moving between jobs at a rapid pace. One in four employees across the four countries changed roles in the past year, with New Zealand recording the highest turnover at 37%. In addition, 39% of workers say they would relocate for the right role, a figure that rises to 44% in Australia. This suggests that loyalty to a single employer is giving way to a stronger focus on flexibility and security.
Employee priorities are also changing. Most workers now prefer balance over burnout, with 56% saying they would rather take on roles without excessive pressure or responsibility. This sentiment extends across age groups, indicating that wellbeing and stability are becoming central to career decisions.
Gen Z seeks security and purpose
The report highlights a generational shift, with younger workers taking a more cautious approach to employment. Gen Z in particular is prioritising stability over risk, with 65% ranking job security as more important than ventures such as joining startups. At the same time, they remain ambitious, with many willing to change industries, careers, or even countries in search of purpose and growth. However, they also face the greatest cost-of-living challenges, with 58% reporting that they work extra hours just to get by.
Ben Thompson, co-founder and CEO of Employment Hero, said: “The way people work has fundamentally transformed, across every market. We are seeing the same forces at play, rising costs, shifting priorities, navigating AI and other technological changes and a growing willingness among employees to rethink how, where, and why they work. Employers are navigating enormous change too, balancing talent shortages, increasing costs of running a business, output challenges, and new expectations from employees.”
He added: “Employment Hero’s Annual Jobs Report combines real-time employer insights with employee sentiment. We can see where the biggest shifts are happening and where the pressures are mounting. This perspective helps us understand what’s coming next, giving businesses the foresight they need to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing global employment landscape.”
The 2025 edition marks a milestone, with 12 months of monthly Jobs Reports in Australia and the UK, while expanding coverage to New Zealand and Canada for the first time. It shows a workforce at a turning point, facing both intense pressures and new opportunities, and in the process rewriting the rules of work.
