SEEK Employment Report - Job ad boom at peak, applications per job ad decreasing

 STATE OF THE NATION: JOB ADS BOOM AT PEAK, APPLICATIONS PER JOB AD DECREASING 

The latest SEEK Employment Report shows job ad growth sits at a record high, while candidate availability is near record low levels. 

Rob Clark, Country Manager, SEEK NZ comments: “For the fourth consecutive month, job ad growth figures in New Zealand have reached a record high. Job ads were up 1% from May 2021 to June 2021., and the market for job seekers remains strong. Compared to pre-pandemic numbers, job ads grew by 24% compared to June 2019.”

“In the last few months, we have had up to 5.2 million visits to seek.co.nz each month, which is a positive sign. However, since the pandemic began, the number of candidates who view a job ad on seek.co.nz and then go on to apply for a role has fallen by 15%. We understand that candidates are being more selective and are approaching new roles with caution. In fact, our research shows that 32% of Kiwis remain worried about their job security, and 14% have held back from changing jobs because of COVID-19.

“This fall in jobs applications is not limited to one industry or a specific region. There are staffing challenges in nearly every sector, with month-on-month applications per job ad down in 18 of the 28 industries SEEK monitors.” 

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

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

STATE OF THE INDUSTRIES: RETAIL ON THE RISE ONCE AGAIN

The industries contributing the greatest volume increase to job ad growth m/m were Administration & Office Support (up 12% m/m), Retail & Consumer Products (up 10% m/m) and Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (up 8% m/m).

Rob Clark continues: “Retail & Consumer Products has made a strong contribution to job ad growth in June. Despite the year we’ve had, and the shift to online shopping, Kiwis are still keen on the in-store experience. In particular, month-on-month job ads grew for merchandisers by 15%, store management increased by 14% and retail assistants were up 5%. All important roles to help visually attract shoppers and to deliver a great customer experience.

“Administration & Office Support job ads rose by over 12% this month. Roles in record management and document control were up 29% and contract administration up 29% – a sign offices are getting back to normal and needing essential support and administrative staff.” 

Some roles in Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Administration & Office Support and Retail & Consumer Products include:  

• Retail & Consumer Products with roles for area/multi-site managers; department/assistant managers; store managers; merchandisers; retail assistants; and buying. 
• Administration & Office Support with roles for administrative assistants; client & sales administration; office management; PA, EA & secretarial; and receptionists.
• Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics with roles for warehousing, storage & distribution; road transport; purchasing, procurement & inventory; product, planning & scheduling; machine operators; couriers, drivers & postal services; assembly & process work; and management.

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

Table 2: National and regional job ad growth/decline comparing June 2021 to: i) June 2020 (y/y); ii) May 2021 (m/m) and; iii) June 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.