Seek job ads in New Zealand drop 22% in December
Seek job ads in New Zealand drop 22% in December

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Job ads on job board Seek New Zealand tumbled by 22% in December 2024 when compared to December 2023.
On a month-on-month basis, December’s job ads fell by 2%, due mainly to a decline in hiring in the major cities.
Applications per job ad declined by 2% month-on-month in November 2024 but were 32% higher year-on-year.
“Job ads declined slightly month-on-month following a small rise in November,” Rob Clark, Seek New Zealand country manager said in a press release. “Overall, the trend in 2024 was one of decline, with ads down 22% compared to December 2023.”
After rising in November, Canterbury (-5%), Auckland (-4%) and Wellington (-3%) recorded a month-on-month decline in ad volumes in December. Conversely, Waikato and Otago, which both recorded falling ad volumes in November, rose 2% and 5% respectively month-on-month. Tasman saw the steepest monthly fall in December (-14%).
Of the larger regions, Otago has been impacted the least by job ad decline in 2024, falling 8% year-on-year, compared to 25% in Auckland and 23% in Wellington and Canterbury respectively. After some volatility at the start of the year, job ad volumes in Taranaki have not changed year-on-year. Marlborough saw the steepest annual fall (-40%).
While the majority of industries recorded a month-on-month decline in job ads in December, there was rising demand among the largest hirers: trades & services (3%), manufacturing, transport & logistics (5%) and information & communication technology (6%). Insurance & superannuation saw the biggest increase at 30%.
Most industries have slowed their hiring since December 2023, with a few exceptions including banking & financial services (29%), mining, resources & energy (12%) and insurance & superannuation (12%), among others.
“Some industries ended the year with more opportunities, including banking & financial services and insurance & superannuation, thanks to growth spurts at the end of the year,” Clark said. “Hiring and applications do tend to pick up in the early months of a new year, as hirers and candidates start thinking about the future – so, January and February will be ones to watch.”
The Seek Employment Report provides a comprehensive overview of the New Zealand employment marketplace. The report includes the Seek New Job Ad Index, which measures only new job ads posted within the reported month to provide a clean measure of demand for labour across all classifications.