Te Tai Tokerau and Taranaki are the places to be for job hunters according to TradeMe. Photo / NZME
The pandemic's hold on the country's labour market has loosened, according to TradeMe - with those looking for new gigs peaking above pre-Covid levels, and Te Tai Tokerau and Taranaki seeing the largest surge in new job listings, across the motu.
“In the third quarter we saw more Kiwis taking advantage of the market conditions and checking out their options, with a nationwide 9% year-on-year jump in the average number of applications per listing,” Trade Me Jobs sales director Matt Tolich said.
Gisborne job applications were up the most at 28%, Auckland was up 21% and Wellington saw a 16% rise in average applications per listings in the third quarter, compared with the same period in 2021.
“This was reflected around the country, with more job applicants in every region except Canterbury, Marlborough, Taranaki and Otago last quarter.”
Tolich said the most significant number of staff looking to move to new roles was in industry.
“Our largest category, trades and services, saw a 14% jump in the average number of applications per listing in the third quarter when compared with the same quarter last year.”
'Market levelling off'
The increase in job applications didn’t seemingly correlate with weakness or redundancies in the labour market, as job listings themselves remained up on pre-Covid levels, Tolich said.
“If we compare job listings with the third quarter of 2019, we saw a 17% increase in the number onsite.”
Job listings, however, were flat compared with the same period in 2021, Tolich said.
“What we’re seeing is the market levelling off after cycles of lockdowns, followed by sugar rushes of pent-up demand over the past two years.”
Hospitality and tourism roles climbed the most at 46% year-on-year, coinciding with the reopening of borders, and lockdown elimination.
“In the Auckland region alone, hospitality and tourism roles jumped by a whopping 75% year on year.”
Maori employment five times faster
The government has conceded Māori were disproportionately affected by Covid-19-related lay-offs and earlier this year Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson announced Te Mahere Whai Mahi Māori - the Māori Employment Action Plan.
Māori employment is growing five times faster than the general population, according to government statistics; the Trade Me data shows Te Tai Tokerau and Taranaki as the fastest-growing regions for new jobs.
“Northland, Taranaki, and West Coast saw a year-on-year increase in listings last quarter, while every other region saw a drop,” Tolich said.
He said Otago saw more listings than ever before in the third quarter.
TradeMe has forecast for the next three months competition for roles will increase as the government raises immigration quotas.
“We reckon we’ll continue to see applications climb, with more people in the market for a new job, paired with a significant number of immigrants entering the country,” Tolich says.
