"Across the aged care sector, the demand for skilled and experienced healthcare and medical talent remains high," said recruitment specialist Debbie Glen of Frontline Health NZ.
She said that while there is a trend for more senior practitioners to move into aged care, owing to its growth potential, those in mid-level roles or just starting out do not find aged care appealing.
However, while immigration is helping fuel demand, local shortages mean overseas doctors and healthcare professionals are increasingly plugging the gaps, Glen said. Particularly hard to fill are vacancies for anaesthetists, physiotherapists, theatre nurses and those experienced in dealing with brain injuries.
While Auckland's medical vacancies rose 10 per cent in the year to June, Wellington's demand skyrocketed by 23 per cent.
As in Canterbury, the greatest demand in the capital is for counsellors, qualified social workers and psychologists. Vacancies for mental health professionals across the whole country are up by almost a third.
These figures reflect overall growth in the labour market, with job vacancies across all industries increasing by more than 11 per cent in June this year, compared with last year.
IT professionals, tradespeople and office and admin workers are the most hotly sought after.
