Job advertising growth rate still higher than other regions

BOOM: Hawke's Bay's growth rate was still far higher than other regions but had fallen compared to the same time last year. PHOTO/FILE

Hawke's Bay is still leading the charge in job advertising growth, but has fallen behind itself year on year.

The latest ANZ job advertising data stated Hawke's Bay's growth rate was still far higher than other regions but had fallen compared to the same time last year.

The growth rate in job ads was 10 per cent compared to 17.7 at the same time last year.

Labour demand was strong but growth was also slowing, which the report stated was unsurprising given "the exceptional growth of late".

Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce chief executive Wayne Walford said there were still a lot of jobs out there, but people might not be adding more to the market.

"We've still got that skill gap," he said.

"I know people are still looking for skilled people.

"We're just at the end of the financial year ... people often wait and hold off and see what happens before they head back out to the market."

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment's Jobs Online monthly report for March stated job vacancies had increased in five out of 10 regions.

Gisborne/Hawke's Bay had one of the biggest increase in vacancies, with 10.4 per cent, trailing just behind Bay of Plenty which was up 15.2.

Business Hawke's Bay CEO Susan White said there had been an increase in jobs in the region but the "seasonability" of the region could impact how they were advertised.

"People are having to work to take advantage of the global export market ... there's significant job growth through certain industries," she said.

"Its fantastic to hear we're still on the positive side of job growth."

Hastings Business association manager Susan McDade said there was still high business confidence, but that between January and April people tended to take on more staff.

The Icehouse Hawke's Bay business development manager Kate de Lautour said they had been seeing more employers investing in their staff, resulting in fewer vacancies

"It shows they really value their staff and they don't want to lose them."

Nationally, jobs ads rose strongly in March restoring the upward trend.

Job ads lifted 2.9 per cent in March building on a 1.2 per cent rise in February. Total job advertising was up 1.7 per cent versus a year ago on a three-month average.

ANZ senior economist Sharon Zollner said the rebound in the past two months was encouraging.

"It suggests that while degree of caution may well have crept in on the part of employers, they are certainly not shutting up shop."