SEEK Employment Report - Job ads soar to new highs in April

 STATE OF THE NATION: JOB ADS SOAR TO NEW HIGHS

For the second month in a row, the latest SEEK NZ Employment Report shows the highest number of jobs ever advertised on seek.co.nz.

The report indicates continued demand for candidates, with nearly every region increasing both m/m and y/y.

Janet Faulding, General Manager, SEEK NZ comments: “In April we have seen the job ad boom continue, as New Zealand hits record-high job advertising numbers for the second consecutive month. Job ads increased by 12% month-on-month and 355% year-on-year.

“April 2020 was the lowest month of the year as New Zealand was in the midst of the nationwide Level 4 lockdown, the record number of job advertisements last month is especially telling as April is typically the second-quietest month of the year after December, due to the Easter and Anzac holidays.

“Whilst we have reached new heights again in terms of job ads, the demand for candidates means the number of applications per job advertisements fell. In April, we saw a decrease in application per job ad of 9% month-on-month.

“With more job ads than ever on seek.co.nz, New Zealand is truly in a jobseeker’s market. Although many Kiwis have been unsure about changing jobs due to uncertainty about job security and future lockdowns, now is a great time to consider your next career move.”

Table 1: National and major regions job ad growth/decline comparing April 2021 to: i) March 2021 (m/m) ii) April 2020 (y/y) and iii) April 2019  – all regions listed in table at the end of this release.

Figure 1: National SEEK NZ Job Ad percentage change by region (April 2021 vs March 2021)

Source: SEEK Employment Index April 2021 vs March 2021

STATE OF THE INDUSTRIES: DEMAND SURGES OVER 42% FOR HOSPITALITY & TOURISM

The three industries that experienced the highest growth m/m were Hospitality & Tourism (up by 42.7% m/m), Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (up by 18.1% m/m), and Information & Communication Technology (up by 14.6% m/m). 

Janet Faulding continues: “Nearly every industry across New Zealand is experiencing a record number of jobs advertised.

“This year, we have seen the Hospitality & Tourism industry experienced a resurgence. Last month, the demand has continued with a 42.7% increase month-on-month.”

The following 17 industries all had more job ads in April 2021 than ever before on seek.co.nz. The industries are listed in order of the highest volume of roles.

Some roles in Hospitality & Tourism, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, and Information & Communication Technology currently on the seek.co.nz website include:

• Hospitality & Tourism with roles for chefs/cooks; management positions; bar & beverage staff; waiting staff; housekeeping; front office & guest services and kitchen & sandwich hands.
• Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics with roles for warehousing, storage & distribution; machine operators; assembly & process work; road transport; couriers, drivers & postal; purchasing, procurement & inventory freight/cargo forwarding.
• Information & Communication Technology with roles for developers/programmers; business/system analysts; programme & project management; engineering – software; help desk & IT support; testing & quality assurance; networks & systems administration.

Figure 2: National SEEK NZ Job Ad percentage change by industry (April 2021 vs March 2021)

Source: SEEK Employment Index April 2021 vs  March 2021

Table 2: National and regional job ad growth/decline comparing April 2021 to: i) April 2020 (y/y); ii) March 2021 (m/m) and; iii) April 2019

MEDIA NOTE: When reporting SEEK NZ data, we request that you attribute SEEK NZ as the source and refer to SEEK NZ as an employment marketplace.

Download the latest SEEK Employment data here. 

-ENDS-