The National Iwi Chairs Forum and Te Rōpū Kaimahi Māori o Aotearoa say Budget 2026 has confirmed the Government is ignoring a worsening Māori employment crisis that is putting whānau, rangatahi, marae, and regional communities under severe pressure.
The two groups have issued a joint warning that Māori unemployment has almost doubled in four years, rising from a historic low of 6.3 percent in 2022 to 11.5 percent today.
They say more than 52,000 Māori are now out of work, while close to one in four rangatahi Māori who want employment cannot find it.
The organisations say the figures represent more than a labour market downturn. They argue the loss of work across Māori communities affects household income, tamariki wellbeing, marae participation, whānau stability, and the future confidence of an entire generation.
The criticism follows Budget 2026, which the Government has promoted as a disciplined economic plan focused on returning the books to surplus, reducing inflation pressure, and investing in selected frontline services.
But iwi and Māori worker representatives say the Budget offers no meaningful response to the scale of unemployment facing Māori workers.
They say Māori were barely visible in the Government’s Budget speech, despite the depth of the crisis now facing Māori households and regional economies.
Te Rōpū Kaimahi Māori o Aotearoa says the employment crisis has worsened alongside cuts to agencies, teams, and programmes designed to support Māori workforce development.
The groups point to reductions at Te Puni Kōkiri, the loss of Māori community teams within the Ministry of Social Development, the cancellation of Māori research pipelines at MBIE, and the abolition of the Future of Work Forum as examples of reduced Māori capability across the public sector.
They say those decisions have weakened the Crown’s ability to respond to Māori unemployment at the very time stronger targeted support is needed.
The groups reject the Government’s argument that lifting the wider economy will automatically improve Māori employment outcomes. They say a one-size-fits-all labour market strategy has failed Māori for decades and will not address structural barriers facing rangatahi, rural communities, and Māori workers exposed to economic restructuring.
They are calling for an emergency taskforce and a 100-day Māori employment plan grounded in Māori leadership, iwi and hapū solutions, and clear accountability.
That plan would include rebuilding rangatahi employment pathways, restoring Māori-led workforce planning, and embedding Te Tiriti obligations into employment law and labour market policy.
The joint statement also warns that artificial intelligence and workplace automation could deepen existing inequities if Māori workers do not have a guaranteed voice in how new technologies are introduced.
Te Rōpū Kaimahi Māori o Aotearoa says Māori workers are among those most exposed to future economic disruption, making Treaty-grounded protections and Māori participation in workplace transformation essential.
The partnership between the National Iwi Chairs Forum and Te Rōpū Kaimahi Māori follows discussions at Waitangi earlier this year, where iwi leaders endorsed resolutions on Māori workers, union relationships, employment rights, and workforce issues.
The organisations say iwi interests and Māori worker interests are inseparable because jobs, income, whenua, whakapapa, and community wellbeing are all connected.
They are now putting political parties on notice ahead of the November election, demanding clear manifesto commitments for Māori workers before voters go to the polls.
For Māori communities already facing rising costs, housing pressure, and regional job losses, the groups say Budget 2026 has failed to provide the urgency, scale, or Māori-led solutions needed to protect whānau and rebuild economic confidence.
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