Job listings hit a record high for the second consecutive month in April, but people appear to be wary about applying for them.
Auckland, Malborough and Southland recorded the highest growth in listings, while Northland saw a drop of about 12 percent. Photo: RNZ
The latest SEEK NZ employment report shows listings rose by 12 percent on March, and more than 350 percent on the same month a year ago, when the country was in lockdown.
Ads were nearly a fifth higher than they were in April 2019.
Janet Faulding. Photo: Supplied
SEEK NZ general manager Janet Faulding said "the record number of job advertisements last month is especially telling as April is typically the second-quietest month of the year after December, due to the Easter and Anzac holidays".
Demand for labour remained strongest in the hospitality and tourism sectors, as many firms looked to scale up following the opening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble, Faulding said.
"We're still continuing to see a demand for permanent contracts ... there is still a really strong demand for cooks and chefs, of senior management, waiting staff, house keeping staff, and kitchen and sandwich makers," Faulding said.
However, job applications fell by 9 percent over April.
Faulding said that was not uncommon as applications traditionally tended to lag behind listings, but there was an emerging trend where workers in secure jobs were less likely to pursue new opportunities as a result of the pandemic.
"Candidates are looking but they are not applying for roles and I guess, that now they are in a full-time position they don't want to jeopardise that position for any old role, and are thinking carefully about their next career move."
Across the regions, Auckland, Malborough and Southland recorded the highest growth in listings, while Northland saw a drop of about 12 percent.