The number of seasonally adjusted filled jobs for February 2024 rose by 0.3% when compared with January 2024, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Overall there were 2.4 million filled jobs across all industries in February, up 6,006 compared to January.

The 0.3% increase was a slight slowdown from January’s monthly uptick of 0.4%.

By category, primary industries were down 0.7% over the month, while the services industries saw filled jobs rise by 0.3% and the good producing industries remained flat over the prior month.

Year-on-year figures by industry showed that the largest changes in the number of filled jobs compared with February 2023 were in health care and social assistance, which was up 4.9% (13,153 jobs). This was followed by public administration and safety, up 5.3% (8,334 jobs); transport, postal, and warehousing, up 7.7% (7,224 jobs); education and training, up 3.5% (6,854 jobs); and accommodation and food services, up 2.8% (4,414 jobs).

By region, the largest changes in the number of filled jobs compared with February 2023 were in: Auckland, up 2.9% (23,310 jobs); Canterbury, up 2.1% (6,682 jobs); Waikato – up 1.8% (3,976 jobs); Bay of Plenty, up 2.6% (3,747 jobs); and Otago, up 2.4% (2,767 jobs).

In February 2024 compared with February 2023, the number of filled jobs rose by 1.8% (20,883 jobs) for men and rose by 1.3% (14,980 jobs) for women.

By age group, the largest changes in the number of filled jobs compared with February 2023 were in: 35–39 years, up 8.2% (20,724 jobs); 30–34 years, up 5.5% (15,400 jobs); 40–44 years, up 6.7% (15,385 jobs); 15–19 years, down 8.7% (13,093 jobs); 65+ years, up 5.3% (6,452 jobs).