Logistics industry insights
Explore the latest industry insights from Infometrics to learn more about the industries we work with and how they’re evolving.
Infometrics infographics
Click on these infographics from Infometrics, or read the summary below.
Warehouse and Logistics industry summary
Employment in 2025
In 2025, the warehouse and logistics sector employed 13,133 people, representing 0.5% of all filled jobs in New Zealand.
Employment grew at an average rate of 1.6% per year between 2020 and 2025. Growth is forecast to continue at 1.9% per year between 2026 and 2031, exceeding projected national employment growth of 1.4%.
Businesses in the sector
In 2025, there were 1,782 warehouse and logistics businesses operating in New Zealand, accounting for 0.3% of all business units nationally.
Future workforce demand
Between 2026 and 2031, the sector is expected to generate 4,177 total job openings. These include:
- 1,490 new jobs created through employment growth
- 2,687 replacement job openings, reflecting workforce turnover.
Where people work
- Auckland: 8,288
- Bay of Plenty: 898
- Waikato: 435
- Wellington: 459
- Canterbury: 1,549
- Rest of North Island: 994
- Rest of South Island: 510
Top occupations
The top five occupations in 2025 were:
- Storeperson: 1,967 jobs
- Despatching and Receiving Clerk: 820 jobs
- Import–Export Clerk: 532 jobs
- Sales Representatives: 496 jobs
- Forklift Driver: 398 jobs
These represent 4,213 jobs, 32.1% of total Warehouse and Logistics in New Zealand.
Self-employment in 2025
In 2025, 912 workers in warehouse and logistics were self‑employed, resulting in a 6.9% self‑employment rate.
This is at a slightly lower rate than the national average of 15.2%, reflecting the sector’s predominantly employee‑based workforce.
Sector productivity
In 2025, the warehouse and logistics sector generated $3,102 million in GDP, contributing 0.7% of New Zealand’s total GDP.
GDP grew at an average rate of 2.1% per year between 2020 and 2025, and 2.8% per year between 2015 and 2025, exceeding overall national GDP growth.
Productivity, measured as GDP per full‑time equivalent (FTE), was $249,069, compared with $174,045 nationally.
Ethnicity of workers
In 2025, the warehouse and logistics workforce was ethnically diverse.
Pacific Peoples were represented at a higher proportion relative to total New Zealand employment.
European workers made up the largest share, however at a lower rate than the national workforce.
Māori and Asian workers were represented at a similar level to the national workforce.
Highest post‑school qualifications (2023)
Among warehouse and logistics workers with formal qualifications, holding a degree was the most common.
Just over half of the workforce hold no formal qualifications.
Age profile of workers
The age profile of warehouse and logistics workers broadly mirrors the national workforce.
- Workers aged 25–64 make up the largest share of employment.
- Younger workers aged 15–24 are well represented, reflecting entry‑level and transitional roles.
- Older workers aged 65+ also form a meaningful share of the workforce.
Female participation
Women made up 37.7% of the warehouse and logistics workforce in 2025, compared with 48% across New Zealand.
Female participation in the warehouse and logistics sector has seen a noticeable increase over the last decade.
Hours worked
Warehouse and logistics workers were more likely to work full‑time hours.
Most worked 40–49 hours per week. A smaller but notable share worked 50 hours or more.
Fewer workers were employed in part‑time hour brackets compared with the national workforce.
Jump to:
Automotive • Collision Repair • Commercial Road Transport • Gas • Logistics • Mining • Passenger Services • Quarrying • Resource Recovery
These reports were defined by MITO Limited. Data sourced from Infometrics and Statistics New Zealand.