Demand for New Staff Remains Strong

Demand for New Staff in the Second Quarter of 2008, Remains Strong in New Zealand according to Manpower Employment Outlook Survey

AUCKLAND, March 11/Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today shows that whilst the employment prospects for New Zealand’s job seekers remain positive, the Net Employment Outlook for the upcoming quarter is below the long-term average.

The survey of 982 employers across New Zealand reveals that employers are being relatively cautious in their hiring plans for the second quarter of 2008, especially in comparison to the survey results reported in recent quarters. According to the seasonally adjusted results of the survey, employer confidence declines by seven percentage points this quarter in a year-over-year comparison.

The demands of New Zealand’s employment market appear to be moderating in the April - June quarter of 2008, with a Net Employment Outlook of +21% reported in the second quarter of 2008. However, this is a one percentage point decrease compared to the previous quarter and below the high Net Employment Outlook of +28% reported in the April - June quarter of 2007.

According to Catherine Lo-Giacco, General Manager of Manpower New Zealand, “Although employer hiring expectations are softer from this time last year, demand remains healthy. In the very tight labour market that exists across New Zealand demand for staff is significantly impacted by the outward flow of domestic talent to other markets. The skills shortage continues to create very real structural changes in the workforce. This simply means companies need to employ strategies to ensure they not only hire the right talent, but ensure they have policies in place to make sure they retain staff.

“Employers in the Public Administration & Education sector report the most optimistic hiring intentions at +30%. Additionally, employers in all three regions surveyed report active hiring intentions over the next three months. Employers in Wellington are the most optimistic (+23%), followed by those in Auckland (+22%) and Christchurch (+20%)” Lo Giacco noted.

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