Bay of Plenty online job vacancies increase, Tauranga agencies experience 'biggest year ever'

A Tauranga recruitment agency experienced its "busiest year ever" in 2018 as job vacancies continue to rise in the Bay.

The latest data from Jobs Online, issued by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, showed there was a 1.8 per cent increase in vacancies in the Bay of Plenty from October to November.

1st Call Recruitment managing director Phill Van Syp said his agency had experienced its "busiest year ever".

"We have had branch records all over the place," he said. "We just can't keep up."

Van Syp said there had been an increase in both full and part-time employment roles in jobs "right across the board".

However, he said employers in the roading and infrastructure and logistic warehouse industries were constantly looking for workers.

"That's because Tauranga is starting to turn into a real hub of the Port [of Tauranga]."

Van Syp put the spike in online job vacancies to the fact business confidence remained high.

"The reality is, our clients are needing more and more workers."

There was also an increase in recruitment agencies in the Bay of Plenty, which was creating competition, he said.

Yudu editor Helen van Berkel said yudu.co.nz's statistics showed the job market was showing no sign of slowing.

"The NZME job board, which entered the market in April, has experienced a 10 per cent increase in job listings in the months since," she said.

Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said the increase in online job vacancies was no surprise. Photo / File

Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said the increase in online job vacancies was no surprise as the economy moved from "strength to strength".

"The economy is pretty strong and businesses in the region are seeming quite confident. We are seeing strength in the economy across the board," he said.

"Businesses are quite keen to expand, we are seeing that with the number of commercial building consents issued."

All job vacancies nationwide increased by 0.7 per cent in November, with the largest contributors including healthcare and medical (up 1.6 per cent), hospitality and tourism (up 1.0 per cent), and primary industries (up 0.9 per cent).

Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Alan Sciascia said growth in hospitality employment reflected a general strength in the sector.

Sciascia said employees were needed to fill job vacancies at new businesses that were opening up around the region, which reflected a growing population.

There was no sign of the need for hospitality employees slowing down, he said, with the second stage of Tauranga Crossing, including 18 new restaurants, opening in April 2019.

Sciascia said there had long been a shortage of hospitality staff, in particular chefs, managers and experienced staff.

"Peak season demands rely on foreign workers here on short-term work visas, six to 24 months, as there are just not enough workers available to meet the demand," he said.

Hospitality New Zealand Bay of Plenty regional manager Alan Sciascia said a growth in hospitality employment reflected a general strength in the sector. Photo / Andrew Warner

Kristin Dunne, chief executive of Tourism Bay of Plenty, said tourism employed nearly 8000 locals - a number the organisation hoped to increase by 4000 by 2028.

Dunne said the nearly 8000 people employed directly by the tourism sector earned $290 million collectively and was important to the "social and economic well-being" of Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty.

"As we receive increased visitors and they spend more, more jobs and businesses are created to service these temporary locals," she said.

"We are aiming to bring visitors here when the economy needs them most and to aim for year round, rather than seasonal employment peaks."