Those wanting to switch jobs might want to wait 'til the New Year.
According to employment website Seek, the number of new jobs listed declined in October - earlier than the usual November/December decline. But a strong increase in listings is expected in the New Year. It is a usual seasonal trend for labour market activity to ease as the end of the year approaches. This dip is then followed by an upswing in the New Year as employers look to fill positions that were held open throughout the holiday season.
“The dip of 3.9% in new job ads listed on www.seek.co.nz is typical for this time of year as businesses tend to hold off from hiring before Christmas", Janet Faulding, Seek NZ general manager, says. "This can be due in part to the additional cost of covering statutory holidays and leave, and many businesses also see workloads wind down over the festive season.”
Despite the slight decline in October, new job ads are up 4.6% year on year and job listings are expected to bounce back strongly in the New Year. Ms Faulding said the early onset of the seasonal dip could be attributed in part to the impact of the recent uncertainty in global markets on business confidence levels.
The decline in new job ads in October was seen across the majority of the country with decreases across the North Island and in the Canterbury region. But the rest of the South Island bucked this trend, recording a modest rise of 0.3% in October.
Seasonally adjusted, the Seek Employment Indicator (SEI), the ratio of new job ads placed with Seek during the month to the number of applications for those jobs, also fell in October with a decrease of 4.1% recorded. The decline in the SEI was driven by the dip in new job ads combined with higher numbers of applications received for those jobs.
October’s top five most competitive occupations:
1. Retail and Consumer Products – Retail Assistants
2. Administration and Office Support – Receptionists
3. Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics – Warehousing, Storage and Distribution
4. Hospitality and Tourism – Management
5. Information and Communication Technology – Help Desk and IT Support
Charlotte Woodfield
Fri, 11 Nov 2011
