New Zealand job ads fell by 25% in December 2023 when compared to December 2022, according to the latest Seek employment data.

National job ads were down 2% over the month while applications per job ad increased by 9% over the month.

By region, Taranaki saw the steepest annual fall (-41%), followed by Wellington (-32%). Gisborne saw the small decline at 9% along with the West Coast (-9%).

On a monthly basis, Gisborne saw a fall of 13%, the steepest among regions. On the other hand, the West Coast saw an 8% increase in December 2023 against November 2023.

By industry, the smallest year-on-year decline was recorded in the sales industry (-4%) while the steepest decrease was seen in the ICT industry (-37%). On a monthly basis, the hospitality and tourism industry recorded an uptick of 7%, the highest monthly growth. The administration and support industry recorded a 7% monthly decline.