Everyone is talking about a “jobs-pocalypse.” You know, the fear that robots, AI, and global shifts will wipe out jobs and leave people struggling to survive.

Bruh, in Vanuatu we don’t fear it.

We’ve been living it.

The Reality in Vanuatu

For many young people in Vanuatu, finishing school doesn’t guarantee a job. You might be lucky to find work in a shop, office, or as a security guard, but with low pay and high living costs, it’s barely enough to get by.

Meanwhile, our farmers work hard every day, but low market prices, climate change, and lack of infrastructure make it hard for them to break through.

So what’s the plan?

Seasonal work.

When the “jobs-pocalypse” talk starts globally, Vanuatu’s youth are already in the queue at the Labour Mobility Unit, waiting for their names to be called for seasonal work in New Zealand or Australia. Picking apples, pruning vines, milking cows, or working in meat factories has become the lifeline for many families.

Why People Leave

• Better pay: A few months in seasonal work can pay more than a year’s salary in Vanuatu.
• Support families: Remittances fund school fees, house renovations, solar systems, and small businesses.
• Lack of local jobs: Limited opportunities push people to look elsewhere.

The Nakamal Is Quiet

When seasonal work flights leave, villages become quiet. Fathers, mothers, uncles, and youth leave, leaving the gardens, small children, and community duties to the few who stay behind.

Sometimes, the biggest nakamal talk isn’t politics or football but who just left or who is about to leave for “pikimap apple” (seasonal work).

Is This Our Jobs-pocalypse?

In some ways, it is. Not because technology has taken over, but because the lack of meaningful, well-paying jobs has already pushed people out.

Vanuatu doesn’t fear robots taking over. We fear not having opportunities to keep our people home.

What’s Next?

If we want to stop our own “jobs-pocalypse,” we need to:

✅ Grow industries locally (tourism, agriculture, ICT, manufacturing).
✅ Create youth employment pathways.
✅ Support small businesses with market access.
✅ Modernize systems to attract investment.
✅ Encourage Vanuatu-made industries to thrive.

Until then, seasonal work is the “escape hatch” for many, and as much as we joke about it, it’s a hard reality for families torn between survival and staying together.

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What’s your experience? Are you preparing for seasonal work? Do you want to see more local opportunities for our people?

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments, or share this with someone thinking of seasonal work.