Internet NZ – Relocate your job and imagine the possibilities

New research released by InternetNZ shows a huge number of New Zealanders would move elsewhere in the country if they could relocate their jobs.

Of those who do the type of work that allows them to work from home, 45% of people said they would consider moving somewhere else in New Zealand if they could re-locate in their current job.

With 60% of New Zealanders doing the types of work that allows them to work from home, the 45% of people wanting to move equates to one in five of the overall population.

Imagine 20% of us leaving our current lives in search of a more suitable one elsewhere in the country. The main reasons for wanting to move were more affordable housing (46%), more affordable lifestyle (44%) and a better lifestyle (43%).

InternetNZ Engagement Director, Andrew Cushen, says there are many opportunities that would come with relocating some city slickers to other parts of the country.

“There are a lot of environmental and social challenges that many New Zealanders face today. The cost of housing, traffic congestion and pollution from travelling into work every day, just to name a few,” says Cushen.

Organisations in Aotearoa have the ability to utilise the Internet and become flexible first employers. This means they could employ the very best person for the job – no matter their location.

“There is a lot of work involved in becoming a successful flexible organisation. You need to ensure you have the right systems, tech, policies and support in place to make it a good experience for your employees.

“But if the work is put in, and done well, you can create a highly productive organisation with great employees all over the country.

“This could be a boost to rural and remote communities, and help people connect with friends and whānau in ways that are great for their wellbeing.

“More flexible organisations across Aotearoa could help the country to turn the tide on some of our biggest challenges,” says Cushen.

• There are major increases in people saying they are extremely or very concerned about: online conspiracy theories (42% to 58%), misinformation (56% to 66%) and it is a forum for extremist material and hate speech (58% to 65%).
• 69% of New Zealanders are either extremely or very concerned that the Internet is “being used to share dangerous or discriminatory messages about individuals, groups, or communities” (this is a new question we asked this year)
• Top concerns (either extremely or very concerned): children accessing inappropriate material online (74%), cyber-bullying (71%), security of personal data (69%), the Internet being used to share dangerous or discriminatory messages (69%) and online crime (68%)
• When asked ‘how concerned are you about the security of your own personal details when you use them on the Internet?’ 52% of people said extremely concerned or very concerned (up from 46% last year.)
• 45% of people, who do the type of work which allows them to work from home, would consider moving somewhere else in NZ if they could re-locate their current job. Of those who would consider relocating; the most common reasons are: more affordable housing (46%), more affordable lifestyle (44%) and better lifestyle (43%)
• New Zealanders are significantly more likely to use the top three social media/communication platforms daily than they were a year ago – these are all from the META platform (Facebook, Messenger and Instagram)
• Despite security and trust concerns, 86% of us believe the benefits of the Internet outweigh the negatives.

Each year InternetNZ commissions market research company Colmar Brunton to survey New Zealanders about their use, benefits, concerns, and fears regarding the Internet. InternetNZ will continue to commission this research each year to demonstrate what people think today, and how their thinking changes over time.

InternetNZ is a non-profit organisation, and the home and guardian of .nz – providing the infrastructure, security and support to keep it humming. It uses the funding from the sale of .nz domain names to support the development of New Zealand’s Internet through policy, community grants, research and events. Its vision is an Internet that is open, secure, and for all New Zealanders.