The job market is on the road to recovery as the New Zealand economy continues to rally from the impact of COVID-19 – but some regions are rebounding faster than others.
Nationally, job ad levels in January were just 6% lower than the same time last year. While the gap was bigger in Auckland (14% lower year-on-year), Canterbury and Wellington were inching closer to January 2020 levels with job ad volumes lower by 8% and 4% respectively.
Which roles are growing the fastest where you are? Select a region from the drop-down menu below to find out.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information & Communication Technology | Networks & Systems Administration | 133% |
| 2 | Call Centre & Customer Service | Customer Service - Customer Facing | 112% |
| 3 | Design & Architecture | Architecture | 105% |
| 4 | Legal | Corporate & Commercial Law | 97% |
| 5 | Information & Communication Technology | Programme & Project Management | 84% |
| 6 | Sales | Sales Coordinators | 81% |
| 7 | Design & Architecture | Graphic Design | 76% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Other | 74% |
| 9 | Information & Communication Technology | Engineering - Network | 72% |
| 10 | Information & Communication Technology | Business/Systems Analysts | 70% |
| 11 | Legal | Generalists - Law Firm | 69% |
| 12 | Legal | Property Law | 59% |
| 13 | Information & Communication Technology | Testing & Quality Assurance | 56% |
| 14 | Accounting | Payroll | 56% |
| 15 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chefs/Cooks | 56% |
| 16 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Machine Operators | 50% |
| 17 | Retail & Consumer Products | Retail Assistants | 49% |
| 18 | Sales | Account & Relationship Management | 48% |
| 19 | Construction | Project Management | 47% |
| 20 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Freight/Cargo Forwarding | 46% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering | Civil/Structural Engineering | 66% |
| 2 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Warehousing, Storage & Distribution | 63% |
| 3 | Sales | Sales Representatives/Consultants | 50% |
| 4 | Sales | Account & Relationship Management | 41% |
| 5 | Information & Communication Technology | Business/Systems Analysts | 37% |
| 6 | Administration & Office Support | Administrative Assistants | 28% |
| 7 | Information & Communication Technology | Developers/Programmers | 27% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Engineering - Software | 17% |
| 9 | Trades & Services | Automotive Trades | 16% |
| 10 | Construction | Project Management | 13% |
| 11 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Occupational Health & Safety | 12% |
| 12 | Sales | New Business Development | 7.8% |
| 13 | Hospitality & Tourism | Management | 5.2% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering | Civil/Structural Engineering | 49% |
| 2 | Hospitality & Tourism | Management | 40% |
| 3 | Information & Communication Technology | Developers/Programmers | 27% |
| 4 | Trades & Services | Automotive Trades | 20% |
| 5 | Retail & Consumer Products | Management - Store | 15% |
| 6 | Construction | Project Management | 14% |
| 7 | Administration & Office Support | Administrative Assistants | 11% |
| 8 | Sales | Sales Representatives/Consultants | 4.5% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government & Defence | Various | 103% |
| 2 | Information & Communication Technology | Consultants | 91% |
| 3 | Accounting | Management Accounting & Budgeting | 75% |
| 4 | Engineering | Civil/Structural Engineering | 68% |
| 5 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Occupational Health & Safety | 66% |
| 6 | Construction | Project Management | 62% |
| 7 | Information & Communication Technology | Networks & Systems Administration | 60% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Product Management & Development | 57% |
| 9 | Information & Communication Technology | Database Development & Administration | 55% |
| 10 | Information & Communication Technology | Testing & Quality Assurance | 54% |
| 11 | Administration & Office Support | Various | 53% |
| 12 | Construction | Surveying | 45% |
| 13 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Consulting & Generalist HR | 44% |
| 14 | Retail & Consumer Products | Management - Store | 43% |
| 15 | Healthcare & Medical | Psychology, Counselling & Social Work | 41% |
| 16 | Consulting & Strategy | Strategy & Planning | 39% |
| 17 | Education & Training | Various | 38% |
| 18 | Information & Communication Technology | Security | 37% |
| 19 | Information & Communication Technology | Engineering - Software | 37% |
| 20 | Information & Communication Technology | Business/Systems Analysts | 36% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
Trends across the regions
Liza Viz, CEO of Beyond Recruitment in New Zealand, says a region’s pace of recovery largely depends on how long it was locked down last year.
“Auckland, for example, has been more affected because it experienced more lockdowns during COVID and we only started to see increased activity towards the end of last year,” she says.
“Regions like Wellington saw a more steady job market rebound because they were less exposed.”
Wellington shows growth for Government roles
Recruitment appears to be on the rise in Wellington’s public sector following last year’s general election. Job ads for Government roles increased by 110% in January compared to their low point last year. This is the fastest growth of any role in the region.
“In Wellington, most government roles we are seeing are specific to policy,” says Viz. “This may be the result of the recent election and because the government has been driving significant policy change. This tends to flow on to the job market.”
Opportunities on the rise in ICT
Across the major regions, job ads in ICT (Information & Communications Technology) are showing strong signs of recovery from their low point last year.
Auckland’s ICT market saw the fastest-growth in roles such as Programme & Project Management (84%) and Business/Systems Analysts (70%). Consultant roles were on the rise in Wellington (91%) and Canterbury showed growth for Software Engineers (17%)
Viz says growth in ICT roles across the regions may be due to businesses resuming projects they’d put on hold last year.
“There are a lot of private businesses in Auckland, for example, as well as local government and financial services,” she says. “We are now seeing a huge demand in technology jobs in the region.
“As well as adopting digital methods quickly, and transforming their operations, organisations had to look at their networks and how they manage remote working. And many of the projects put on hold have resumed.”
Making the most of regional growth
After the challenges of last year, growth in job ads is a welcome sign of recovery. But how can you stand out in the market as a job seeker?
Viz says employers are looking for examples of how you have adapted to change.
“They are looking for people who can adapt fairly quickly, and they are more open to transferable skills, so these should be highlighted in job applications,” she says.
“The other key factor is that although we are seeing people working from home, organisations are also looking for people who are mobile and are prepared to potentially move from one region to the next, if they need to,” adds Viz.
No matter where you are across the country, looking for your next role may be overwhelming after the events of 2020. But with these positive signs to start off 2021, looking to where job ads are growing may help you plan your next step.
