MHR Global has just released the findings from our March 2026 pay survey. It’s worth noting upfront however, that the data was collected before 28 February 2026, which is when the first USA/Israel strikes on Iran took place. That means the survey largely captures decisions that were made before the conflict began, and before the global fuel crisis that followed, so the analysed data doesn’t reflect how either of those things has started to affect pay practices on the ground.

To fill that gap, this article looks at how New Zealand’s current fuel and energy crisis is already changing the shape of the labour market, covering both the results of that survey analysis, and what we’re starting to see in recruitment, retention, and remuneration as of March 2026.