SEEK NZ Employment Report - Jobs with booming salaries
SALARY SPOTLIGHT – THE ROLES WITH BOOMING SALARIES
New SEEK research identifying the roles with the greatest average advertised salary growth shows:
- Production workers recorded the greatest growth, rising 33% to $47,600 p.a.
- Grocery Assistants and Accountants recorded the second and third biggest pay rises respectively.
- The Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics industry enjoyed the biggest bump, with three roles among the top ten for salary growth.
See below for the Top 10 growing average advertised salaries.
OVERVIEW OF APRIL 2022:
STATE OF THE NATION:
- Job ads rose 3% month-on-month (m/m), which was 15% higher year-on-year (y/y).
- Applications per job ad increased by 5% m/m.
- 67% of Kiwis would likely consider relocating to another region in NZ for work, compared to 30% who would consider a move to Australia.
STATE OF THE REGIONS:
- The top three regions driving growth were Auckland (+3%), Wellington (+4%) and Bay of Plenty (+11%).
- Two regions recorded a drop in job ads m/m: Manawatu (-5%), Southland (-10%).
STATE OF THE INDUSTRIES:
- The top three hiring industries all grew 2% m/m: Information & Communication Technology, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics and Trades & Services.
- The greatest monthly increase in job ads was in Hospitality & Tourism, which grew 30%, followed by Administration & Office Support, which rose 16%.
JOBS WITH BOOMING SALARIES
According to new salary data from SEEK, the roles that experienced the greatest average advertised salary growth over the past two years were a mix of labour, retail and professional roles.
Production Workers topped the list, enjoying a 33% bump in pay, followed by Grocery Assistants which rose 30% and Accountants, which grew 28%.
Three roles within the Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics industry were included in the top ten list, making it the most represented of all industries.
Rob Clark, Country Manager, SEEK NZ, says of the new findings:
“It stands to reason that many of the roles experiencing the most wage growth over the past two years are the essential workers that kept businesses ticking during lockdown. Labourers, retail assistants and healthcare coordinators have remained in high demand and in this talent-short market, hirers are looking to boost their starting salaries in a bid to attract these workers.
“With cost-of-living pressures top of mind for many workers it’s always a good idea to benchmark your own salary against what’s out there in the market, and, for employers, salary considerations should be a key component of your retention strategies.”
Table 1: Top ten roles in New Zealand that have experienced the biggest average advertised salary increases between late 2019 and early 2022.
Based on average annual full time and annualised hourly salaries (excluding contract roles) for job ads listed on SEEK from Nov 21-Feb 22 compared to Nov 19-Feb 20.
STATE OF THE NATION: CANDIDATE APPLICATIONS RISE 5%
According to the latest SEEK Employment Data, national job ads rose 3% from March to April, making it the second consecutive month of record job ads. Applications per job ad also rose by 5%, in a welcome trend for hirers.
The increase is particularly notable when considering the month contained three short weeks, with Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays, as this would traditionally lead to a slowdown in hiring and in candidates applying.
Additional research commissioned by SEEK into candidate sentiment[1] showed that the main trigger for candidates to look for a new job is in the search for a pay rise, with 49% of candidates saying that salary and compensation are more important now than before COVID.
Rob Clark, Country Manager, SEEK NZ, comments: “We know businesses are extremely stretched for workers, so it was really pleasing to see an uptick in applications per job ad this month, yet the demand for workers is still far greater than the supply of candidates.
“Interest in opportunities remains steady however, as indicated by visitation to seek.co.nz, pointing to curiosity among workers, but hesitancy in taking the plunge.
“Our research provides good insights into the thoughts and feelings of the nation’s workers and showed that the primary hesitation for candidates in looking for a new role is the concern that there are not enough jobs available in their field.
“But jobs are booming, in all industries and in all regions, so if you have been putting off making a change there really never has been a better time to take the leap.”
[1] Independent research conducted by Nature on behalf of SEEK. Interviewing 4000 Kiwis annually.
Table 2: Job ad growth/decline nationally and for major regions, comparing April 2022 to: i) March 2022 (m/m) ii) April 2021 (y/y) and iii) April 2019 – all regions are listed in Table 2.
STATE OF THE REGIONS: REGIONAL GROWTH SURPASSES METRO
All regions recorded y/y job ad growth in April, and all but two recorded a m/m rise; Manawatu dropped 5% and Southland fell 10%.
The top three regions driving growth were Auckland, which rose 3%, Wellington which was up 4% and Bay of Plenty which increased 11% m/m.
Hawkes Bay experienced the greatest rise m/m jumping 15% compared to March yet recorded a drop in candidate applications of 5%.
The regional job ads index outgrew the urban one, with ads for roles outside our metro centres increasing 7% m/m, compared to a rise of 4% within our cities.
Rob Clark explains: “The job ad growth in our regional hubs was particularly notable in April, and in fact job ads outside the urban areas have risen 23% since this time last year, compared to those within our cities which have grown 14% year-on-year.”
“This is interesting when considering our candidate research which found 67% of employees would likely consider relocating to another region in NZ for work, compared to 30% who would consider relocating to Australia.
“There is a lot of discussion over a mass exodus of Kiwis leaving the country in the search for better international options, yet these findings also suggest many may be looking for a tree change closer to home.”
Figure 1: National SEEK NZ Job Ad percentage change by region (April 2022 vs March 2022)
Table 3: National and regional job ad growth/decline comparing April 2022 to: i) March 2022 (y/y); ii) April 2021 (m/m) and; iii) April 2019
STATE OF THE INDUSTRIES: HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ROLES JUMP 30%
The four industries with the most job ads on site, being Information & Communications Technology, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Trades & Services and Healthcare & Medical, all grew 2% from March to April.
Hospitality & Tourism roles saw the most significant job ad growth m/m, with a 30% increase on March and job ads at the highest levels ever recorded. Candidate applications per job ad for roles within the industry have also risen over the past three months but remain lower than the average recorded pre-pandemic.
Rob Clark explains:
“The growth we are seeing in Hospitality & Tourism roles is phenomenal, with job ads rising 72% over the past two months. In fact, the Consumer Services sector as a whole is booming, as the country emerges from COVID restrictions and Kiwis begin moving about the country in greater numbers.
“As workers return to offices, job ads in Administration & Office Support roles recorded a rise, growing 17% from March and applications for these roles rose 8% from the month prior.”
Figure 2: National SEEK NZ Job Ad percentage change by industry, (April 2022 vs March 2022) – Ordered by total job ad volume.
Click for the latest SEEK Employment data or for more employment insights or career advice please visit SEEK’s Hiring Advice or SEEK's Career Advice.
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.
