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The latest SEEK NZ Employment Report, released on Monday, May 21, reveals a continued decline in job advertisements and shifts in application trends, reflecting the seasonal and economic realities of New Zealand’s job market.
The latest SEEK NZ Employment Report, released earlier this week, reveals a continued decline in job advertisements and shifts in application trends, reflecting the seasonal and economic realities of New Zealand’s job market.
Here’s what else it revealed.
National insights
Job advertisements across the country fell by 4 per cent in April, marking a significant 30 per cent decrease compared to the same period last year.
Despite this overall drop, the number of applications per job ad rose by 5 per cent in March. However, this increase was not uniform across all industries.
Hospitality & Tourism and Retail & Consumer Products experienced a decline in applications per job ad on a month-on-month (m/m) basis.
Regional insights
Metro regions led the national decline with a 6 per cent fall in ad volumes m/m. In contrast, Waikato stood out as the most populous region to record an increase in job ads, albeit a modest 1 per cent.
Industry insights
Certain industries showed resilience despite the overall decline. Insurance & Superannuation saw a 17 per cent increase in ad volumes, while Education & Training recorded a 2 per cent rise in April.
However, the Hospitality & Tourism sector faced a steep decline, with job ads falling by 21 per cent m/m, marking the largest monthly decline for the industry in more than two years.
TIA chief executive Rebecca Ingram says seasonal nature can affect these changes.
“Tourism has seasonal patterns so a drop in advertising at the end of the summer is not surprising. Also, our most recent workforce survey from March shows that many tourism operators (75 per cent) were intending to hold staff over the winter season, to ensure they have a ready workforce for next summer.
“So while 50 per cent are still planning to recruit, there’s signals that many tourism businesses have the skills and workforce they need at present and don’t need to advertise,” she says.
Steve Armitage, chief executive of Hospitality NZ, echoed this.
“Some reduction in advertising for roles is consistent with the natural cadence of hospitality as we move out of the peak season,” he says.
“Over the past two years, we have been in the grips of a staffing shortage, but we know from some members’ feedback that they are increasingly placing the right people in the right roles, and consequently have higher retention rates, which makes us optimistic for the future,” he says.
Overall, the SEEK NZ Employment Report highlights the process of the job market, with regional and industry-specific variations reflecting broader seasonal and economic trends.
As businesses adapt to these changes, the focus on retention and strategic staffing appears to be a positive sign for the future.
