New Zealand Job Market Bounces Back
Articles > New Zealand Job Market Bounces Back
Articles > New Zealand Job Market Bounces Back
It’s been a difficult 18 months, with trials and tribulations experienced by everyone around the globe due to COVID-19 but, for those people seeking employment in New Zealand, there’s excellent news and light at the end of the tunnel.
Many online employment portals have reported that the number of online job advertisements are greater now than they were pre-pandemic. Almost every job sector has posted a record number of vacancies, the most being posted in trades and services, communications and IT, manufacturing, transport and logistics. New Zealand is definitely a job-seeker’s market at the moment.
Seek, New Zealand’s largest online employment site, saw an increase of 355% in job advertisements in April 2021 compared with April 2020. Even compared with April 2019’s pre-pandemic figures, the number of adverts increased by 19%. This is great news for job seekers and those hoping to settle in New Zealand. Another exceptionally encouraging fact for job hunters is that salaries rose by an average of 1.6%, with average weekly earnings increasing to $1,328.43 and the average hourly rate rising to $34.52.
Whilst companies are advertising, desperately trying to fill vacant positions, applications per job were down by 9%, clearly showing that New Zealand doesn’t have the skilled labour to fill these positions. Also, many Kiwis are content to maintain their current positions in these times of uncertainty. For those outside New Zealand who are hoping to work in this beautiful country, this is obviously one of the best times to think of moving to the land of the long white cloud. New Zealand needs skilled and experienced people to fill positions and ensure that its economic growth remains healthy.
Below is a list of industries which advertised more on Seek in April 2021 than ever before, starting with the highest volume of roles: –
While many countries around the world are experiencing rising unemployment, New Zealand’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.2% in the third quarter of 2020 to 4.9% in the fourth quarter of 2020, and to 4.7% at the end of the first quarter 2021. Analysts from various financial institutions were predicting anything from a 1% drop in employment figures to a 2% increase, so this positive news, which prompted a strengthening of the New Zealand dollar, is extremely welcome.
ASB Chief Economist, Nick Tuffley commented that ‘The figures reveal a slightly stronger labour market than predicted, echoing recent survey data highlighting tighter labour market conditions and growing concerns around labour shortages. The data provides further evidence of how well the New Zealand economy has performed through the global pandemic, with the level of employment higher than pre-pandemic level.”
The drop-in unemployment rates, together with the job advertising boom and the strengthening of the New Zealand dollar all bode well for skilled and experienced people to look to New Zealand for job opportunities and a new life.
Now is the time to prepare for securing a job offer and starting a New Life in New Zealand.
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