But some 'recession-proof' industries expected to provide some relief: SEEK
Job seekers across New Zealand can expect an "even tougher market" in the coming months as the country slips into a recession, according to SEEK NZ.
New Zealand entered a recession after the GDP shrank by 0.1% in the December quarter, following a 0.3% contraction in the prior period.
"Certainly, the recent confirmation that we are in a recession will have an impact on the hiring outlook for many employers," said Rob Clark, SEEK NZ country manager, in a statement.
"For candidates who are already competing heavily for the roles available, this may lead to an even tougher market in the months to come."
The market is already tough across New Zealand as job applications continue to increase while job ads decline.
Applications per job ad in January went up three per cent, rising for the fifth consecutive month and hitting three times February 2019 levels, according to SEEK NZ.
It comes in the wake of declining job ads, with February seeing a three per cent drop after a "slight uplift" in the previous month.
Source: SEEK NZ
By industry, the drop was most observed in sectors such as Construction, Engineering, HR and Recruitment, as well as Government and Defence, which all recorded a monthly drop of 12%.
Clark, however, noted that some industries are still posting rising job ads, such as Healthcare and Medical (6%), Sales (3%), as well as Marketing and Communications (6%).
"History shows us that certain industries are more recession-proof than others, such as Healthcare & Medical and Education & Training, so we would expect there to be some areas of resilience in the coming months," he said.
