NZ’s Shifting Job Market Landscape - Listings Fall While Pay Climbs To Record High

New Zealand's job market saw a notable shift between April and June, with the highest average salary on record, and the second lowest number of listings, according to the latest quarterly report from Trade Me Jobs.

Following record high application numbers across much of 2024 and early 2025, numbers flattened out in the April-June quarter, down 0.1 per cent on the prior quarter and 7 per cent year-on-year.

Trade Me’s Head of Jobs, Nicole Williams, commented on the findings: “We're observing a period of adjustment in the job market. The number of listings is at a low not seen in quite some time, reflecting a more cautious approach from businesses, particularly across our biggest cities.”

Salaries hit record high in the quarter

Ms Williams says the analysis of roles listed on Trade Me Jobs in the quarter found that despite fewer listings, there were some positives particularly from a pay perspective.

“The national average pay climbed to a record quarterly high of $73,823, up 1.6 per cent on the previous quarter and 1.5 per cent year-on-year.

“It’s also encouraging to see average wage either remaining flat or increasing across all regions, with the exception of Taranaki, which saw a 1.3 per cent decrease,” Williams noted.

“This trend also extends across nearly all industries with the only category to see a notable decrease in salary being construction and roading, where salaries were down 1.9 per cent year-on-year.”

Average pay in Wellington increased 2.2 per cent to $76,851 in the quarter to maintain its lead over Auckland as the highest paid region.

Listings see significant dip

Overall listings in the quarter were down 17.7 per cent year-on-year and 8.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter.

“Nearly every region experienced a year-on-year decrease in listings,” said Williams.

“The exceptions were Otago, which saw a slight increase of 1.4 per cent, and Southland, which was up 9.7 per cent year-on-year.”

Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury were the key drivers of the year-on-year decreases, with Auckland listings down 5.8 per cent, followed by Wellington (-2.7%) and Canterbury (-2.3%). Listings for roles within the CBD of each region saw the most significant decreases.

Outside of the main cities, the Hawke’s Bay experienced the largest year-on-year decrease (-36.2%), as well as the largest quarter-on-quarter decrease (-16.7%).

“We know in the current economic environment businesses are thinking twice about their next hire, but with the OCR on its way down and the cost of living easing, the outlook for the rest of 2025 is looking more optimistic.”

Applications remain high but stable

Demand for roles remained high in the second quarter of the year with applications per listing staying stable, down 0.1 per cent on the previous quarter. However, year-on-year applications per listing have dropped -7.0 per cent from last year’s all-time highs.

The average number of applications per job listing was 34 nationwide. Auckland had the highest number of applications per listing, averaging 46, which is down from 48 in the previous quarter.

“The demand for roles is still strong, despite fewer listings, however we’ve seen competition ease back a little from previous quarters," said Williams.

Education saw the largest increase in applications per listing, up more than 23 per cent to an average of 25 per listing.

Categories with the highest average applications per listing were Transport & Logistics (55) Retail (54), and Hospitality & Tourism (52).

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