'While it was pleasing to see growth in January, it is a bit too early to say that volumes have stabilised'
Job ads for human resources and recruitment roles saw a double-digit increase in January as the country logged its strongest job ads growth in six months.
The latest SEEK NZ Employment Report revealed that job ads in New Zealand went up four per cent month-on-month in January, with HR and recruitment roles seeing a 14% increase.
"After six months of consistently falling job ads in the early half of 2024, the rate of decline in the past six months has slowed," said Rob Clark, SEEK NZ Country manager, in a statement. "While it was pleasing to see growth in January, it is a bit too early to say that volumes have stabilised."
Most industries registered an increase in job ads month-on-month, with call centre and customer service roles seeing a major spike with 31%, according to the report.
The biggest drop in job ads, on the other hand, was recorded in legal roles (-17%), followed by insurance and superannuation roles (-16%).
By location, Tasman logged the biggest increase in job ads with 18%, followed by Marlborough with 12%. Only Taranaki saw a drop in job ads volume, with -11%.
"It is good to see hiring activity rising, particularly in the hard-hit smaller regions," Clark said. "We do expect more optimism among hirers at the start of the year, and this month's numbers may be more a sign of a return to business after the summer break, than a longer-term trend."
Meanwhile, applications per job ad saw a two per cent month-on-month increase in December, according to SEEK.
The biggest increase in applications was recorded in:
Education and Training roles (18%)
Call Centre and Customer Service roles (14%)
Construction roles (12%)
By location, it increased in "all of the largest regions," but declined in the Bay of Plenty and Manawatu.
"Though the rate of growth has decreased significantly over the past year, competition remains extremely fierce for the job opportunities available," the report read.
