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The number of people applying for jobs is on the rise as the number of jobs on offer shrinks.
Employment firm Seek said job ads fell by 6 percent in October on September, with all regions aside from Taranaki recording a decline.
Some of the largest industries by job ad volume, such as manufacturing, transport and logistics, and administration and office support, drove the overall decline, though not all industries fell month-on-month.
Education and training, hospitality and tourism, and accounting were among the six industries to record a rise in demand for workers.
The latest available data indicated the number of applications per job ad rose in September by 4 percent, after dropping in August.
Unemployment figures show the number out of work is at its highest in two years, while wage inflation is dropping.