Top half of North Island leads in job growth

New data shows job growth in the top half of the North Island outstripping the rest of the country, with the exception of Canterbury.

The Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) analysis is the first of a series of quarterly releases from Linked Employer-Employee Data, known as Leed. Today¡¦s report concentrated on analysing regional job information.

It showed that in the year to March 2005 Waikato and Bay of Plenty had the fastest growth in the annual average number of filled jobs, with growth of 4.4 per cent and 4.3 per cent, compared with the national figure of 3.9 per cent.

Third fastest growth was in Auckland with 4.2 per cent, while Northland was fifth with 4 per cent. The only more southerly region to break up the northern bloc was Canterbury with 4.1 per cent growth.

The national annual average number of filled jobs was 1,688,550, with most jobs -- 240,450 -- in the manufacturing industry, followed by 224,300 in property and business services, and 206,950 in retail trade.

Nationally the largest increase in filled jobs was in the mining, construction, and electricity, gas and water services industry which was up 12.2 per cent.

Earnings growth was more evenly spread than job growth, although Northland topped the list with a 5.2 per cent increase in average mean quarterly earnings for full quarter jobs in the year to March 2005.

In second place was a combined area including Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, where the growth was 4.8 per cent, while Manawatu-Wanganui was third with 4.5 per cent.

Nationally earnings growth was 3.9 per cent and the mean quarterly figure $9830.

For Wellington the main claim to success was in having the highest average quarterly earnings of full quarter jobs at $11,070, just ahead of Auckland on $11,030.

But the gap between the two was narrowing and for both -- 3.5 per cent for Wellington and 3.8 per cent for Auckland -- the increase was below the 3.9 per cent national figure.

And while Wellington did have the third highest number of filled jobs, at 207,180, in the March 2005 year its rate of increase at 3.4 per cent was below the 3.9 per cent national figure.

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Regional figures for the March 2005 year:

Northland: annual average filled jobs 47,100, a 4 per cent increase; average mean quarterly earnings for all full quarter jobs $8500, a 5.2 per cent increase.

Auckland: 559,800 jobs up 4.2 per cent, earnings $11,030 up 3.8 per cent.

Waikato: 145,180 jobs up 4.4 per cent, earnings $9140 up 4.1 per cent.

Bay of Plenty: 96,790 jobs up 4.3 per cent, earnings $8780 up 4.1 per cent.

Gisborne: 17,640 jobs up 3.3 per cent, earnings $8130 up 4.1 per cent.

Hawke¡¦s Bay: 62,110 jobs up 2.9 per cent, earnings $8540 up 3.7 per cent.

Taranaki: 41,590 jobs up 3 per cent, earnings $9350 up 4 per cent.

Manawatu-Wanganui: 91,270 jobs up 3.8 per cent, earnings $8570 up 4.5 per cent.

Wellington: 207,180 jobs up 3.4 per cent, earnings $11,070 up 3.5 per cent.

Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast: 67,400 jobs up 3.7 per cent, earnings $8420 up 4.8 per cent.

Canterbury: 227,840 up 4.1 per cent, earnings $9050 up 4.4 per cent.

Otago: 85,080 jobs up 3.4 per cent, earnings $8560 up 3.4 per cent.

Southland: 39,550 jobs up 1.1 per cent, earnings $8580 up 2.8 per cent.

- NZPA WGT mjd nb