Job market picking up, say agencies

The Western Bay job market is showing signs of picking up but job hunters can still expect to have a battle on their hands when they see the job they want advertised.
Three recruitment companies spoken to by the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend said there had been signs of increased confidence among employers in the past few weeks
Simon Oldham, sales and marketing manager for Tauranga-based online recruitment agency QJumpers, said he was experiencing a 10 per cent lift in job vacancies.
"There's a bit more buoyancy in the market but it's still way off the highs we had in 2007.
"There is a feeling of optimism compared to previous months though and people are starting to think the market will pick up a bit so employers are starting to replace when they weren't before.
"There are also some good news stories from employers who are expanding."
But while there were more jobs to apply for, those involved in recruiting were still seeing the same number of applications for vacant positions.
The average number of applications for Bay of Plenty jobs filled by QJumpers in May and June was in the mid-20s, compared with about 16 in April.
"So we're getting more jobs but it's still tough for job hunters. They haven't got an easy ride right now," Mr Oldham said.
Administration and low-level sales jobs were particularly competitive and part-time work that fitted into school hours had a "heap of people" applying.
"There are a lot of people vying for those roles. Tauranga is still very desirable. People want to move here and are looking for a job," Mr Oldham said.
Employers in the engineering and health fields were still struggling to fill positions.
"They are jobs that require specific skill sets," he said.
Claudia Nelson, the owner of Tauranga-based agency The Right Staff, said manufacturing and account management sectors were hiring but construction and finance were hard industries to find work in at the moment.
"We are still recovering but I do feel that confidence is building gradually and people can afford to change jobs again."
However, she cautioned against relying on being able to find a job quickly.
"If you're employed, stay there while you're looking and take the time to find the right job rather than joining the ranks of people who are still looking for a job," Mrs Nelson said.
"It could still take a while to find the right job, depending on the industry they are getting into."
Ian Chitty, managing director of Tauranga's Personnel Resources/Temp Services, said some vacancies were getting 50 applications. "There's a bit of competition in certain areas like general, clerical and administration that are not qualified.
"There's a lot of competition in the sales and marketing arena."
Retail work was also hard to get.