3.6% Rise In Canterbury Salaries Bucks National Trend

June 25, 2012

3.6% Rise In Canterbury Salaries Bucks National Trend

Data released by SEEK today reveals Canterbury has bucked the national trend, with salaries in the region increasing 3.6% in the first six months of 2012, driving the average pay packet for Cantabrians up more than $2,000 to $66,415.

In contrast, salaries across New Zealand have remained largely flat during the same period, with the average rate of growth just 1.4%. The average national Kiwi pay packet is now $71,731 per annum for jobs advertised on www.seek.co.nz.

Janet Faulding, General Manager SEEK New Zealand, says these findings are a true reflection of the current market;

“Against a backdrop of global financial uncertainty, many companies here at home are treading cautiously when it comes to pay reviews and pay rises, reflected in the 1.4% growth in salaries nationally since January. However, it’s no surprise that salaries are up in the Canterbury region given the strong demand for workers to support the rebuild. In order to attract workers to the region, higher salaries are one of the additional perks favoured by many firms,” she says.

Wellington also notched up above average growth, with salaries rising by 2.4%. The capital now has the second highest salary in New Zealand at $77,441. Salaries in New Zealand’s largest city remained flat however, with Aucklander’s pay packets increasing by just 0.8% to $73,297.

Average NZ salary packages by region (based on jobs advertised on seek.co.nz)*

The industries with the highest salary packages in the country include Mining, Resources and Energy roles ($113,939), Consulting and Strategy ($89,793), Information and Communication Technology ($86,755), Engineering ($85,494) and Construction ($82,720).

Average NZ salary packages by classification (based on jobs advertised on seek.co.nz)*

In the recent SEEK New Zealand Workforce Survey**, 33% of Kiwis said they do not expect to see any additional money in their pay packets this year, reflecting the fact that salary increases are not widespread in the current climate. The survey also revealed that a pay rise would encourage 38% of Kiwis to stay put in their current role, meaning that firms who want to hold onto good staff, may need to consider reviewing salaries to ensure they are in line with industry benchmarks.

“While not all companies will be able to stretch to pay rises in the coming months, any employer looking to recruit or retain staff should look to design comprehensive packages that offer not only an attractive pay packet, but also a range of non-monetary perks such as flexible working hours,” adds Ms Faulding.

*All figures based on job listings on seek.co.nz, January – May 2012. Average salary rates reflect an aggregated midpoint of the annual salary package of full-time jobs on offer, not average pay rates for people in work.

** The SEEK New Zealand Workforce Survey was conducted among 1,217 employed New Zealanders from April 14 to April 17, 2012.

About SEEK

SEEK Limited is the leading online employment and training site in New Zealand. SEEK is a media company using the internet as its distribution channel. SEEK (NZ) Ltd was incorporated in September 1999. SEEK (NZ) Ltd manages seek.co.nz, New Zealand’s largest employment website and one of the best known Internet brands. Currently over 16,000 employment vacancies are advertised on seek.co.nz and the site notched up almost 2.8 million visits from jobseekers in May 2012 (Based on Total Market Visits to seek.co.nz (Source: Nielsen Market Intelligence, May 2012) and Visits to m.seek.co.nz (Source: Omniture, May 2012).

ENDS

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