Jobs weigh in 10% greater than last year

Jobs weigh in 10% greater than last year

The New Zealand job market continues to expand, evidenced by a weighty 10% increase this February, compared to February 2013, revealed data from SEEK, New Zealand’s largest job source. Over 22,000 new job ads were posted on seek.co.nz this February, compared to just 20,000 for the equivalent period last year.

“We have witnessed an incredibly strong start to 2014 and these job numbers are the strongest we’ve had for over three years. The employment market is showing signs of recovery across New Zealand, driven by the main metropolitan areas of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch with regional New Zealand continuing to contribute to the overall picture,” says Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

“It’s encouraging to see the regions benefiting from increased activity in the employment market and this confirms there are opportunities outside of the main cities in New Zealand.”

The Auckland market boasted the majority of job opportunities in New Zealand with a total of over 11,000 positions online. This represented 50% of the roles advertised in February on seek.co.nz; a 10% increase for the same period in 2013. Other metropolitans showed steady year on year growth with Wellington having close to 4000 jobs in February, a 7% increase and Canterbury nearly 3,500 jobs online, reflecting a 7% rise. Regionally, Marlborough increased by 22%, Waikato 19%, Otago 18%, and the Bay of Plenty 9%.

Job application numbers were also up across New Zealand with a 6% increase year on year. Regionally, Marlborough and Gisborne returned the greatest percentage growth increasing by 72% and 47% respectively. Hawkes Bay enjoyed a 25% increase, with Northland and Bay of Plenty rising 17% and 16% respectively.
“It’s not surprising to see jobs applications on the rise. With the continuing monthly trend of sustained growth in the job market, job seekers are actively looking and applying for new jobs,” says Ms Faulding.

“The job market season is now open for candidates. There are currently 18,200 jobs listed on seek.co.nz and with unemployment taking yet another dip to 6%, the signs of a robust job market are clearly evident.”

-ENDS-

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