SEEK new job ads up 6.5 per cent year on year

MEDIA RELEASE

26 October 2016

SEEK new job ads up 6.5 per cent year on year, boosted by Hospitality, Tourism and Retail

Job advertisements on SEEK rose 6.5 per cent this September when compared to the same period last year.

Janet Faulding, General Manager for SEEK New Zealand, said seasonal hiring across the Hospitality & Tourism and the Retail industries helped increase advertising on SEEK this September.

“Our SEEK data has shown that September is the peak hiring month of the year for the Hospitality & Tourism and Retail industries.

“When we analysed our SEEK job ad data for all the Hospitality & Tourism and Retail industries, over a three year period, on average 10.2 per cent of those job ads for the Hospitality & Tourism sector and 9.6 per cent of the total job ads for Retail & Consumer Products industry fell in September.

“We know that in September businesses are gearing up for the festive shopping and Summer holiday season. They are advertising on SEEK now to get the employees they need to service the busy period. It’s a great time for jobseekers to be looking onsite,” Faulding added.

Graph one: New Zealand Hospitality & Tourism, Average Ad Volumes (Oct 2013-Sep 2016)

Graph two: New Zealand Retail & Consumer Products Average Ad Volumes (Oct 2013-Sep 2016)

The top three most advertised Hospitality & Tourism jobs on SEEK this September and their average advertised salaries were:

1. Chefs/Cooks ($53,678)

2. Management ($62,028)

3. Front Office & Guest Services ($41,527)

The top three most advertised Retail & Consumer Products roles on SEEK this September and their average advertised salaries were:

1. Retail Assistants ($40,223)

2. Management – Store ($50,165)

3. Management – Department/Assistant ($43,964)

Trish McLean, Group CEO of Retailworld Resourcing Group, said job advertising for the Hospitality & Tourism and Retail sectors increases each September because hirers aim to have their seasonal teams in-place by late September and early October ahead of the busy Christmas period.

“There has been significant development and expansion of retail and hospitality venues in the past 12 months, new venues require full staffing from management to casual staff. In addition to seasonal demand we can’t get enough Chefs! Chef roles are hard to fill because of specific skill set and experience requirements” explained McLean.

“There is also a high demand for Retail Shop Front staff, the demand has increased this year with local business expansion and big international retailers such as Zara, H&M and David Jones, that recently opened stores across our major cities, these brands also require extra staff in the lead up to Christmas and the post-Christmas sales,” McLean added.

The top regions that had the largest number of Hospitality & Tourism jobs advertised this September were:

1. Auckland, up 5 per cent y/y

2. Canterbury, down 25 per cent y/y

3. Otago, up 11 per cent y/y

4. Wellington, up 28 per cent y/y

**Even though Hospitality & Tourism job ads are declining in Canterbury, the region is still ranked second for opportunities in this industry.

The top regions that had the largest number of Retail & Consumer Products jobs advertised this September were:

1. Auckland, up 11 per cent y/y

2. Canterbury, up 9 per cent y/y

3. Wellington, up 44 per cent y/y

4. Otago, up 40 per cent y/y

NZ JOB MARKETS

At a national level, New Zealand’s largest labour markets, Auckland and Wellington, both enjoyed y/y advertising uplift on SEEK this September, increasing 7.5 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively. While in Canterbury the jobs market remained subdued with job ads down 5.5 per cent y/y

CANDIDATE AVAILABILITY

New Zealand experienced a slight 0.3 per cent y/y increase in the SEEK Employment Index this September, which points to favourable conditions for job seekers as there is slightly less applications and therefore competition, for each role. However, underneath this national figure there is a clear difference in candidate availability at a regional level.

For jobseekers in Auckland and Wellington, year on year there is a reasonable balance between jobs advertised and candidates applying.

While in Canterbury it remains a hirer’s market, for each job advertised there is a higher than average number of candidates applying, creating more competition for job seekers but providing hirers with a larger pool of candidates to choose from.

“It’s important for job seekers in a hirer’s market, to have an up-to-date SEEK Profile to help them get noticed by prospective employers because they’re applying for jobs in a highly competitive market,” Faulding said.

About SEEK

SEEK is a diverse group of companies, comprised of a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK operates across 19 countries with exposure to over 4 billion people and 28 per cent of GDP. SEEK makes a positive contribution to people’s lives on a global scale.

SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, where it is a top 50 company with a market capitalisation close to A$6billion and has been listed in the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies Globally by Forbes, and Number One in Australia.

SEEK is an integral part of New Zealanders job-search process, and as the country’s leading employment marketplace is uniquely positioned to empower New Zealanders with career and volunteer opportunities to create productive and fulfilling working lives.

About the SEEK Employment Report
The SEEK Employment Report provides a comprehensive overview of the New Zealand Employment Marketplace. The report includes the SEEK Employment Index (SEI), which is the first New Zealand aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand.

It also includes the SEEK New Job Ad Index which measures only new job ads posted within the reported month to provide a clean measure of demand for labour across all classifications. SEEK’s total job ad volume (not disclosed in this report) includes duplicated job advertisements and refreshed job ads. As a result, the SEEK New Job Ad Index does not always match the movement in SEEK’s total job ad volume.

Disclaimer: The Data should be viewed and regarded as standalone information and should not be aggregated with any other information whether or not such information has been previously provided by SEEK Limited, ("SEEK"). The Data is given in summary form and whilst care has been taken in its preparation, SEEK makes no representations whatsoever about its completeness or accuracy. SEEK expressly bears no responsibility or liability for any reliance placed by you on the Data, or from the use of the Data by you. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately.

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