In Box: Job ads up

• SEEK New Job Ad Index up 3.9% on January 2012
• Auckland and Canterbury lead new job ad growth
Data released by Seek in February revealed new job ads increased by 3.9 percent year on year to January 2013. Auckland and Canterbury led the growth, both boasting healthy increases in new job ads over the previous month, 2.6 percent and 2.5 percent respectively. In contrast, new job ads declined 1.9 percent in Wellington in January.
While growth in new job ads from December to January was more modest at 0.7 percent, it’s the year on year comparison that is significant, with the seasonally adjusted data reflecting an annual pattern of increased hiring in the New Year.
The Seek Employment Index (SEI), which measures the ratio of new job ads placed on Seek to the number of applications received for those jobs, dipped by 0.6 percent in January signalling that job applications grew at greater rate than new jobs last month.                  
“Canterbury saw significant 9.3 percent increase in job applications in January. This could potentially be the result of people looking to capitalise on the new job opportunities that form part of the rebuild project,” says Janet Faulding, general manager of SEEK New Zealand.
Fastest growing jobs in the country (in the quarter to January 2013)
• Early childhood teachers up 118%
• Commercial lawyers up 70%
• Retail merchandisers up 58%
• Assembly workers up 58%
• Financial/Banking account managers up 58%. M