job vacancies at 10 year high

rodders · Valued Member Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 134

21 April 2004
By JAMES WEIR

March was the second-best month in the past 10 years to look for a job, with newspaper job advertisements in the main centres topping 33,000 and big rises in jobs advertisements in the lower North Island.

The latest ANZ Bank job advertisements survey shows a rebound in March, with job advertisements up 3.4 per cent.

Numbers spiked in December last year, but dipped nationally in January and February, before rebounding last month.

"The increase in March was sufficient to return the series to the second highest level in the 10-year history of the series in its current form," ANZ chief economist David Drage said.

Job advertisement numbers were up more than 11 per cent on the same month last year, at 33,360. The best month in the past 10 years was in December, with more than 36,000.

Job advertisements were up strongly in Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu and Christchurch.

In Wellington they increased almost 9 per cent in March, after an 11 per cent jump in February, reversing a big 15 per cent fall in January. Manawatu job advertisements rose more than 5 per cent in March and were up more than 20 per cent on the same month last year. Hawke's Bay and Christchurch's advertisements were up 6 per cent in March.

By contrast, job advertisements were down 0.2 per cent in March for Auckland after drops in January and February.

But overall, the nationwide advertisements series suggested that "labour market conditions remain tight".

"This is good news for job seekers. But it continues to cause difficulties for many businesses, with skilled labour shortages a problem throughout the economy," Mr Drage said.

The latest Institute of Economic Research survey of business opinion showed 23 per cent of companies surveyed said labour shortages were the biggest limit to increased production, forcing businesses to re-advertise positions to get the right person.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2881038a13,00.html

Jamie Smith · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 2:43 am Post subject:

80% of people in NZ get a job through networks and friends rather than newspaper ads.

Can anyone else see a link between heavily cut inflow of skilled migrants, lack of education of NZ employers about offering jobs to migrants and job vacancies at high numbers?

If people are not able to get to NZ for long enough to find work, and if the employers/ recruitment agencies turn migrants away through either a) laziness or b) ignorance or c ) fear of getting into trouble with NZIS, then IS IT ANY WONDER that companies are complaining about not being able to find skilled staff?

And for the next 15 years more people are going to retire than join the workforce through natural growth.

Now that the LisNZ survey is out, they at last say how important immigration is to NZ, but it is not yet reflected in policy or goals at NZIS.

My company is now looking at setting up an Aus branch as their policy is a) more compliant, b) simpler c) less reliant on some noddy sitting in an office trying to decline a case.

Cheers all

karltsmith · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:02 pm Post subject:

I see another business opportunity here specialising only in sourcing skilled migrants.........what do you think? Applicant screening, Web link preliminary interviews via a web conference ..handling the applications......$$$$$ Nutcase