Job advertisement data suggests a steady demand for labour continues.
Two reports out this week from the ANZ and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment show a modest overall lift in demand for labour in February, the demand for skilled labour continuing to increase in many industries.
MIBE figures show demand in the hospitality and tourism sector increased 1.8% in February, six out of eight industry groups experiencing increased demand.
Skilled vacancies increased in two out of three occupation groups, the biggest month-on-month increase being for managers.
MIBE figures also showed Otago-Southland continued to show increased demand for skilled workers, up 1.1% in February from January and 12% for the year, behind the Bay of Plenty on 1.3% and 28% respectively.
ANZ senior economist Sharon Zollner said yesterday nationwide internet job advertising was flat in February but there was a partial bounce back of 7.7% in newspaper job advertisements from a sharp fall in January.
Looking at a three-month average, Auckland had the strongest annual total job advertisement growth, up 13.2%, Canterbury advertisements were up 5.8%, while year on year Wellington advertisements fell 4.2%.
The ANZ only had newspaper job advertising for the rest of the country and the relativities were telling, she said.
Waikato job advertisements, on a three-month average, fell nearly three times as much as those in the Otago Daily Times over the past year, with Hawkes Bay and Manawatu in the middle.
''It is also notable regional newspaper ads have underperformed those in main centres over the last year with the single exception that newspaper job ads in Otago have fallen less than in Wellington.''
Nationally, job advertisement data remained consistent with ongoing steady employment growth and the ANZ was forecasting the unemployment rate to ease modestly from the current level of 5.7%, Ms Zollner said.
Apart from hospitality and tourism, the MIBE figures showed demand remained high for staff in the education, training, construction, engineering, healthcare and medical sectors.
The only industry to show a monthly and annual fall in demand was information technology. Demand in HR and legal and administration sectors also fell in February.
At a glance
• ANZ Job Ads series shows an increase in newspaper advertising and a flat result for internet job advertising.
• Otago-Southland continues to show demand for skilled workers; demand second behind Bay of Plenty.
• Unemployment rate of 5.7% is expected to fall modestly in coming months.
• Demand for hospitality and tourism industry workers led February's growth.
