Biggest Increase In New Jobs Since January

Biggest Increase In New Jobs Since January

New jobs are on the rise again. New data released today by SEEK reveals a 7.3% increase in the number of new jobs listed in October, the highest rise seen since January.

This is an increase of 267% over the last 12 months, moving the country further away from the low points of the recession.

Helen Souness, Senior Executive of SEEK comments: “As New Zealand’s largest job source, the significant rise in October is a powerful indication that the employment market is following an overall pattern of steady growth.”

This growth in the number of new job ads is led by Canterbury whose growth exceeds 12% for October.

Ms Souness comments: “This surge in growth can in part be attributed to the impact of reconstruction in the Canterbury area following the earthquake as both labour and materials have been required to complete the massive task. Advertised vacancies in the Trades & Services sector are now up a huge 57% on the same period last year.”

“There has also been strong national demand for professionals in the IT sector, up a staggering 74% in the last 12 months, as companies look for consultants and programme managers to roll out their upgrade projects delayed by the recession.”

This confident outlook is reinforced in the SEEK Employment Index (SEI) with results showing a rise of 8% in October 2010. The SEI is the ratio of new job ads placed on seek.co.nz during the month to the number of applications for those jobs. This month’s positive growth is a result not only of the increased numbers of new jobs listed but also of the number of applications for these roles dropping by 0.7%.

“This growth in the SEI is the highest increase we have seen since the start of the year and this has been driven by an increase in the demand for labour and a drop in the number of applications per job, which is a clear indicator of improving labour market conditions,” says Ms Souness.

This significant improvement in the SEI is shared across Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury. Canterbury leads the way with an increase of 13.8%. Auckland saw a rise of 9.3%, and Wellington a 7.2% increase.

“The SEI gives an indication of next quarter’s outlook for the employment market and this growth, following the drop in last quarter’s unemployment rate, points towards more positive signs that a strong labour market may lay ahead for the start of next year,” says Ms Souness.

Job Applications

October’s top five most competitive occupations:

1. Call Centre/Customer Service – Call Centre Operator
2. Information & Communications Technology – Help Desk & IT Support
3. Retail & Consumer Products – Retail Sales Assistant
4. Administration – Reception
5. Hospitality & Tourism – Front Office & Guest Services

October’s top five most competitive occupations remain very similar to last month’s list with Call Centre Operator roles taking the position of the most competitive occupation on the list with the only change is Hospitality and Tourism front offices roles being featured again replacing Accounting Admin roles on the list of most competitive occupations.

October’s top five most sought after employees:
1. Government/ Defence – Government
2. Healthcare & Medical – Management
3. Accounting – Business Services & Corporate Advisory
4. Engineering – Civil / Structural Engineering
5. Information & Communications Technology - Consultants

Positions in Government and Defense are the most sought after employees for the month of October, with these roles receiving the least amount of applications per advertisement. The inclusion of Civil and structural engineering roles in the list reflects the impact of the earthquake on the employment market.
-ENDS-

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