More employers are advertising for openings. Photo: RNZ
Job ads are on the rise again after four months of declines, with more people applying for work.
The latest Seek NZ Employment Report indicates the number of ads rose 2 percent in January over the month before, while the number of applications per job ad rose 19 percent on December, and 97 percent on the year earlier.
The number of applications per job is up 14 percent on December 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Applications per job ad rose in all regions, except the West Coast, where there was no change on December.
The biggest increases were in ads for hospitality and tourism, as well as accounting, which rose 13 percent.
"After four months of decline, there was a slight uplift in job ad volumes in January as businesses resumed hiring activity to kick-off the new year," Seek country manager Rob Clark said.
"Hospitality and tourism saw significant uplift in job ads posted in January and applications per job ad for roles in the industry rose by a third in December."
The rise was a normalising of the market, and good news for hirers, Clark said.
"What we're seeing now is a normalising of the market" - Seek NZ country manager Rob Clark
"Last year was exceptional in terms of very high job numbers, and a result of that we saw very few applications for jobs.
"Those looking for talent had very little choice when they were trying to find the right people."
This year job numbers were sitting somewhere between the highs of last year and 2019, he said.
Though the job market was still "relatively tight", employers now had more choice in hiring staff.