NZTIF Annual Wages Survey 2025

We completed another annual NZTIF wages survey recently and we thank you for taking the time to supply the confidential information that contributes to the only national survey of wages and conditions in the New Zealand sawmilling and wood processing industry. Attached are the full reports . A brief condensed version covering the Survey Highlights will be made available on our Website. A full report has been sent to all participating members but in summary, the survey highlights for 2025 are;

1             Hourly wage rates across all the skill classes covered in the survey increased by an average of 1.93% for base level staff and by 0.75% for staff  with two years’ experience or more. This compared with an average 3.62% across the board in 2024 and 5.36% the year before that.

2             31% of respondents reported having to lay off staff during the year with 27% reporting an increase in staff numbers. The remainder reported no change in staffing levels.

3           Weekly working hours as at 30 April 2025 were;

4 days at 8 to 9.5 hours 3.7% of respondents

4 days at 10 hours or more 22.2% of respondents

5 days at 8 to 9.5 hours 74.1% of respondents

5 days at 10 hours or more 0.0% of respondents

4             Members were asked about their staff turnover during the year, the results being;

0-20% turnover 65%

21-40% turnover 22%

>40% turnover 13%

 5             This year 36% of respondents reported a difficulty in recruiting staff compared to 58% in 2024 and 65% in 2023.

Overall the responses seemed to reflect the market conditions in which our industry is operating at present with wage growth restrained, continuing layoffs of staff although with some

individual companies appearing to be buoyant, still quite high staff  turnover and lower reported difficulties in staff recruitment.

 The full survey results have been sent to participants.