Wanganui job ads surge

Jobseekers are being offered more opportunities in Wanganui - particularly skilled roles.

Latest Trade Me statistics show the number of jobs advertised on the site in Wanganui from January to December 2014 grew by 26 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.

Wanganui Veterinary Services manager Dave Barton said he had struggled to find someone to fill a specialised role - a Vetcare grazing manager, who monitors animals as they feed.

"We have found it quite hard to fill the position, but that is mostly because it's such a specialised role and it requires someone with qualifications," he said.

"We have had the job advertised for a while now and have had to increase the offered salary in hope that would draw more applicants.

"The number of people showing interest in the position has increased. We even got an application from a lawyer, which was quite odd."

The New Zealand employment market closed on a high in 2014 with double-digit growth in the last three months.

The number of jobs advertised on Trade Me in the October to December 2014 quarter was up by almost 14 per cent over the same period in 2013.

The Bay of Plenty recorded the biggest increase, up 26.3 per cent.

Other regions with solid growth were Canterbury (13.4 per cent), Manawatu/Wanganui (13.6 per cent) and the Waikato (13.9 per cent).

Head of Trade Me Jobs Peter Osborne said the job market in New Zealand was "surging".

"Looking back over the whole of 2014, it's been a bumper year. Industrial sectors like automotive, construction, manufacturing, operations and the trades are all surging, and we've seen a lot more job opportunities created," he said.

"With New Zealand being in good economic health, retail jobs were also up, and these factors have collectively helped to create a very buoyant job market."