Some construction companies say they want the new Labour government to cough up money to fund big building projects.
They say that will create more jobs, but other employers want money to stay in their back pocket.
Brosnan Construction managing director Phil Brosnan wants the incoming government to pay up and begin building.
"We need the government to cough up and get on with the shovel ready projects that they've talked about. We've not seen any of that in commercial construction," he said.
He said building vertically requires more workers than horizontal construction, like roads, but so far all of the shovel-ready money is going in the ground
"It's not going to vertical at all. The doors are shut and we don't know what's going on."
Naylor Love CEO Rick Herd agreed, but he doesn't think simply coughing up more money is the answer.
"That would be nice, but I'm also a taxpayer, so I think there's a limit to how much we can borrow and spend," he said.
Restaurateur Sang Cho said he would like to see more government support since his business is down by 35 percent.
He has also just paid $8000 in council licencing fees. He took the wage subsidy and a government loan, but would like more support.
"Supporting us financially would be fantastic but I just don't see that happening," he said.
He's worried Labour will mount costs on his business.
"If income is going to be down and the cost of doing business is going up, it's going to be really tough."
BusinessNZ CEO Kirk Hope said all industries are worried about costs increasing under Labour.
"I think one of the challenges that businesses are worried about is when the government is going to be posing costs from them, and that might come from industrial relations policies," he said.
The previous coalition already increased the minimum wage earlier this year, but Hope said more infrastructure funding could earn Labour a blessing from business.
"I hope they really start to crack into the infrastructure programme."
Labour already plans to build 8000 more statehouses, but the private sector wants them to think the sky's the limit.
