Editorial: Skilled workers boost region

Online, skilled job vacancies were up 12.8 per cent this August

The housing market isn't the only sector being affected by an influx of Aucklanders.

As reported in today's paper job vacancies are up in the Bay of Plenty but a recruitment boss says locals are having to compete with a "massive" influx of Aucklanders for jobs.

Online, skilled job vacancies were up 12.8 per cent this August on last in the Bay of Plenty, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - the largest increase of any region in the country.

Read more: Out-of-towners grabbing jobs in the booming Bay

Recruitment company director Jill Cachemaille says she has noticed a "massive" influx of Auckland candidates.

Her company is receiving four or five calls a day from people wanting to re-locate to the Bay of Plenty.

However, difficulties for those people included having to compete with the local market and being available to come to the area for interviews.

It's easy to see why Aucklanders are keen to relocate to the Bay. Housing is a lot more affordable and the lifestyle is attractive.

Some locals may view this as an unwelcome trend that is putting pressure on both the housing and job markets.

The fact is we need all the skilled workers we can get.

Earlier this year the Bay of Plenty Times reported a serious skills shortage. An Immigration New Zealand skills shortage list shows 58 occupations facing an immediate shortage of skilled staff in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region.

The Government hopes to address this by introducing changes to immigration policy in November, giving migrants extra points on their application if they take a job in the regions rather than in Auckland.

The Bay also has a growing number of older workers with the requisite skills to fill some of the vacancies, but as the number of job opportunities increases more labour will be needed.

Skilled Aucklanders will play a major role in maintaining our economic growth.