A record number of businesses have been looking for advice on restructuring

Inquiries to the Employers and Manufacturers Association AdviceLine spiked in the first quarter of this year, with 403 queries.

2500 businesses liquidated last year.

Head of Advocacy and Strategy Alan McDonald says workplace pressures from Covid-19, high inflation and rising interest rates have continued.

He says everyone's hoping the turnaround or recovery would be in 2025, but it's increasingly looking like 2026.