New job ads posted on Seek New Zealand decreased by 28% in the third quarter of 2020 when compared to the third quarter of 2019.

Job ads on Seek New Zealand were up 66% when comparing Q3 2020 to Q2 2020 as the country recovers from the impacts of Covid-19.

Janet Faulding, General Manager, Seek NZ, said, “This quarter has seen month-on-month positive growth with the exception of August which coincided with the introduction of a second lockdown in Auckland.”

“Spending close to three weeks in alert level three took its toll on our biggest city and is reflected in the nationwide figures too. However, the recent return to alert level one nationally should bring hope to job seekers across the board. This demonstrates the close correlation between restrictions and the impact on jobs. We are currently sitting at the highest job ad level since the pandemic began.”

On a year-on-year basis, Auckland reported the biggest decline (43%). When comparing Q3 to Q2, Canterbury recorded the biggest decrease (62%).

“Looking at the major regions, they are showing the biggest variances in job ads when compared to the same quarter last year,” Faulding said. “Auckland is 43% lower year-on-year, Wellington is 32% down, and Canterbury is 38% down. However, there are positive signs as when we look at September alone we can see the gap between last year and this year is narrowing. And, all regions have significantly improved from Q2 to Q3 in 2020.”

“Now that we have the results of the election, we often see an increase in job advertising and recruitment,” Faulding said. “Many businesses wait to see the results of an election before making big financial decisions, including onboarding new staff.”

Topping the list of industries contributing the most to growth in terms of job ad numbers from Q2 2020 to Q3 2020 are Trades & Services (56%), Information & Communication Technology (53%) and Manufacturing and Transport & Logistics (65%).