Jobseekers flocking to Northland

There are not enough jobs for jobseekers in Northland.

Northland has nowhere near enough jobs for the people moving here, a recruitment specialist says.

Trade Me job data for Northland in the April to June quarter showed a 10.6 per cent year-on-year increase in total listings and average number of applications for roles.

But even with the listings increase, there were not enough jobs to meet jobseeker demand, Adecco job agency Whangarei manager Jamie Rosemergy said.

"Roles that might have got 50 applicants are now getting 100 to 150," he said.

"Not only do we have a large number of people in Northland who are unemployed because the roles haven't been there, but there's also a lot wanting to move out of Auckland and back from Australia.

"It's a good thing that we're getting a good number of skilled people coming to the region, but it's not a good thing for a lot of those people because there isn't a lot of jobs for them," Mr Rosemergy said.

High-paying jobs were in particularly high demand.

"There's increasing numbers of people relocating to Northland that used to be in senior management, sales manager and general management-type roles, but there aren't a lot of those advertised in the Northland market.

"Some face the fact they'll have to take a pay decrease but not many would take $30,000 to $40,000 less just because they've moved to Northland ... We'd love to see head offices based in Northland because that would bring senior executive-type roles, but we're not seeing that happening."

In about 15 cases in the past year, Mr Rosemergy had spoken to people who had moved from Auckland without securing a job and went six, eight or 12 months without work.

"They sell [property] in Auckland for around $1 million, get something for about half of that in Northland, and then look for a job because they've still got to live. I tell people to find a job first before moving, or if they've already moved, I tell them they may have to 'buy a job' ... create their own business in Northland because we just don't have the number or variety of jobs that Auckland has."

Meanwhile, Trade Me listings were up 5.3 per cent year-on-year nationwide. Spokesman Peter Osborne said throughout the country applicant numbers per job were up more than 7 per cent on a year ago.