Demand for skilled workers in Auckland reaches three-year high   23 May 2014

Competition for top talent has been reinvigorated in Auckland, following a staggering 72 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in the number of new roles advertised between January and March 2014, says New Zealand’s leading employment marketplace, SEEK. 

According to the latest data from SEEK, the number of new jobs across New Zealand, year-on-year, increased by 12 per cent. Auckland is one of the region’s leading the growth with a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in advertised roles. Growth figures of 93 per cent and 24 per cent have also been seen in Marlborough and Tasman respectively.

“The demand for skilled workers in the first quarter of 2014 is the highest Auckland has seen in more than three years,” says Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

“Seasonal adjustments aside; it has been great to see the number of new roles available increase steadily each month, underpinned by the very healthy growth of the property and construction sectors,” says Ms Faulding.

Over the last 12 months, the number of available construction roles in Auckland has increased by 55 per cent, followed closely by a 54 per cent rise in demand for those in design and architecture and a 49 per cent spike in real estate and property agents.

The boom in building and civil works is expected to continue as New Zealand’s largest construction companies vie for their share of $4 billion in public private partnership contracts currently available.

Roles across Auckland’s professional services sectors are also on the rise, with roles in human resources and recruitment seeing positive year-on-year growth of 45 per cent, call centre and customer service (43 per cent) and administration and office roles (39 per cent).

Ms Faulding says Auckland-based organisations looking to hire in the corporate sector should be aware that the increasing demand for skilled professionals covers all levels of experience and expertise.    

“Month-on-month data for April has shown the most significant increase in demand for skills was for those with experience in senior management roles, including CEOs.

“Organisations looking to hire top tier talent should be aware that competition to secure experienced managers is at the highest level SEEK has ever seen in Auckland. The demand for CEOs and senior executives is also higher in Wellington,” says Ms Faulding. 

SEEK advises Auckland-based organisations to plan ahead when considering their talent needs as the increase in available roles will naturally intensify the competition for the best possible employees.

“Auckland is set to experience further positive growth and demand for skilled professionals. Organisations looking to secure the best talent will need to ensure their job ads are highly visible to attract the right talent,” concludes Ms Faulding.   

About SEEK

SEEK currently has over 15,800 job ads live in New Zealand. The SEEK experience is seamless across desktop, mobile and iPad and currently close to 50 per cent of all visitors to seek.co.nz are via mobile devices.

Continued New Job Ad growth drives jobseeker confidence

Employment hotspots in the year to April 2014 have driven a 12 per cent increase in new job ads across New Zealand, reigniting jobseeker confidence, says SEEK, New Zealand’s leading employment marketplace.

While the number of new job ads revealed a small fall of -0.5 per cent from March to April 2014, long-term data suggests job ads remain on an underlying upward trend.

“Throughout 2013 we saw signs that the labour market was showing confidence, primarily spearheaded by the demand for labour in Canterbury. Between December 2013 and April 2014, strong demand for skilled workers has been seen in all regions, other than Wellington,” Janet Faulding, SEEK New Zealand Managing Director. 

In the year to April 2014, new job ads have risen by 16.5 per cent in Auckland, underpinned by the very healthy growth of the property and construction sectors.

While Wellington may have only seen a 0.9 per cent increase in jobs in the same period the city is showing some positive signs with certain industries seeing strong growth compared to Auckland and Canterbury.

“We’ve seen 57 per cent growth in Trades and Service roles in Wellington over the last 12 months with 292 jobs advertised for the sector in March 2014 alone,” says Ms Faulding.

After 2013 reported a record number of tourists entering New Zealand[1], Wellington has seen significant growth in the Hospitality and Tourism sector with 43 per cent growth. Advertising and Media roles have also seen a 36 per cent increase – growth rates that outstrip those seen in Auckland and Canterbury.

The SEEK Employment Index measures the ratio of new job ads placed with SEEK to the number of applications for those jobs, a key indicator to understanding the relationship between demand and supply for labour.

In April, a -5 per cent fall in the Index was reported, reflecting jobseeker activity in both the North and South Islands.

Despite applications for jobs increasing by 8.0 per cent between December 2013 and April 2014  across New Zealand, the high volume of new job ads posted in this period has actually seen a decline in the SEEK Employment Index.

The data highlights the excess supply of labour available in New Zealand with a greater availability of jobs stimulating many to re-enter the labour market and look for work.

“The more jobs that are available, the more confidence jobseekers will have to re-enter the market or take the next step in their career,” says Ms Faulding.

“However, it will be interesting to see how the market reacts in the coming months given the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is leading the developed world with two successive increases in official cash rates,” says Ms Faulding.

Ms Faulding says those considering a change in their professional life should keep an eye on how their sector is performing.

The top five growing types of roles across New Zealand year on year to April 2014 are; Construction – up 51 per cent, Trades and Services – up 40 per cent, Farming and  Conservation – up 35 per cent, Design and Architecture – up 28 per cent and Hospitality and Tourism – up 27 per cent.

SEEK New Job Ads

The seasonally adjusted SEEK New Job Ads series fell by 0.5 per cent in the month from March 2014 to April 2014.

New job ads declined in Auckland (-0.4 per cent), Wellington (-3.3 per cent) and Canterbury (-4.5 per cent) but rose in “North Island – Other” (5.7 per cent) and “South Island – Other” (1.1 per cent).

SEEK Employment Index (SEI)

The SEI declined across New Zealand -5 per cent in the month from March 2014 to April 2014

In March 2014, the SEI series fell in all regions: Auckland (-6 per cent), Wellington (-3.8 per cent), “North Island – Other” (-0.9 per cent), Canterbury (-3.6per cent) and “South Island – Other” (-5.4 per cent).

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