Job vacancies look set to rise in the new millennium.
Almost 40 per cent of New Zealand-based employers plan to increase permanent staff numbers by August next year, according to the Morgan & Banks Job Index survey, involving 1111 businesses.
The international recruitment company, which completes a survey on employmentissues every six months, found the strongest growth prospects for employment in tourism, information technology, legal, engineering and advertising and marketing industries.
Alistair Sutherland, chief executive of Morgan & Banks' Australasian division, said more New Zealand employers intended to take on staff than ever before.
"On the surface it's outstanding, the level of confidence in the economy for employment. But it brings some real concerns because the level of optimism for employment is pretty high in Australia too. There's a danger that we could get into a bidding war for skilled people."
About 43 per cent of employers planning to hire more people indicated they would look outside New Zealand for new staff.
Meanwhile, the survey found 16 per cent of businesses planned to decrease staff numbers during the first six months of 2000.
Morgan & Banks is owned by TMP Worldwide, the US-based company which operates the world's largest internet job site - www.monster.com.
