The number of people looking for employment in Wanaka versus the number of jobs available is creating a ''dire situation'', a recruitment agency says.
Many job-seekers are turning to community social media sites, saying they have been looking for work in Wanaka for months and are getting desperate.
Kate Murray, manager of Community Networks Wanaka, a non-government social services agency, said it had been reported to her ''that there are not the jobs out there'' this winter and, anecdotally, it seemed there were a lot more people looking for work in the town compared with previous years.
Jackie Smith, acting hostel manager at Base backpackers where several people who are working in Wanaka for the winter are living due to a rental accommodation shortage, agreed.
''Lots of people are struggling to find work - pretty solid, hard-working people who can't find jobs.''
Coverstaff director Richard Hawke said the recruitment agency was ''inundated'' with job-seekers which was creating ''a bit of a dire situation ...we can't help them all''.
The company, called the Wanaka Job Agency until early last year, had placed people in 37 positions this year, a significant increase on last year's figure of 26, but that was probably due to it being the agency's second year in Wanaka and more businesses using its recruitment services, Mr Hawke said.
He believed the rise in the number of job-seekers was due to a large number of positions being available in Wanaka over spring and summer - to the extent there was a labour shortage - and the ''backpacking community's bush telegraph'' putting the word out that it was a good place to find work.
It seemed to be a case of more job-seekers rather than fewer jobs, he said.
Rumours of a great snow season had brought more people to Wanaka and Queenstown earlier than usual.
Many had come too early, before the winter jobs became available, he said, and had been forced to move on, in some cases to Christchurch.
Cardrona Alpine Resort general manager Bridget Legnavsky said the ski area employed about 250 new people a year, to supplement its regular winter staff of 250.
It received about 1800 job applications this year - a slight increase on previous years, but that was possibly due to the company's new online job application system making it easier for people to apply.
Ms Legnavsky said local people were given preference, followed by New Zealanders and then people from overseas.
But the ski area received few applications from local people or New Zealanders, most of whom needed the security of year-round work, and it relied heavily on staff from overseas, she said.
A desire to build up a steady local workforce was one of the reasons behind efforts to turn Cardrona into a winter and summer resort.
The ski area was open to mountain-bikers on a trial basis last summer and it was planning to extend its summer season to three months this year, plus the 17-week winter season.
Ms Legnavsky said 30 people were employed at Cardrona last summer, when an average of 100 people a day visited the mountain.
The company had a target of 200 summer visitors a day which, if that eventuated, would create more summer jobs, she said.
Other large employers in Wanaka also reported a similar number of job applications this winter when compared with previous years.
- Jessica Maddock
