5.7% Rise in New Job Ads Signals Strong Start to 2013

15th March 2013

5.7% Rise in New Job Ads Signals Strong Start to 2013

• SEEK New Job Ad Index up 5.7% on February 2012

• New job ads in Canterbury up 12.6% year-on-year

SEEK data has today revealed a strong start to 2013 with two months of consecutive growth in new job ads, now up 5.7% year-on-year.

New job ads rose in all regions, with the exception of Wellington which remains relatively flat. Canterbury showed continuing signs of strong growth, with a significant 12.6% increase in the number of new job ads from February 2012. Auckland also boosted national growth figures with jobs in the City of Sails rising 4.6% in the same period.

Janet Faulding, general manager of SEEK New Zealand, comments, “Last month our data revealed good news for the New Zealand employment market and this has continued into February with a solid start to the year demonstrated by a second month of upward activity in new job ads for 2013.”

In February, the SEEK Employment Index (SEI), which measures the ratio of new job ads placed on SEEK to the number of applications received for those jobs, increased just 0.3%, signalling that applications for jobs advertised on SEEK grew at a similar rate to new job ads.

“A relatively flat SEI is good news for Kiwis as it means the market is reasonably even keeled in terms of available jobs and candidates applying for those jobs,” explains Ms Faulding.

Regionally, while Canterbury continues to go from strength to strength in new job ad growth, the SEI for the region showed a significant increase of 11.6% last month, indicating that job ads are growing faster than applications for roles on SEEK.

“For jobseekers happy to relocate however, Canterbury continues to be a rich source of opportunity. Anyone particularly keen to find work in the trades, engineering or IT industries, should be considering roles advertised in Canterbury.”

Fastest growing jobs in the country (in February 2013)

• Workplace trainers up 110%

• Engineer drafts people up 91%

• Healthcare and Medical sales representatives up 88%

• Horticulture roles up 80%

• Litigators up 78%

- Ends -

© Scoop Media