An Auckland Business Chamber survey of more than 1000 companies has found “a desperate need” for skills at all levels and a change to the environment that has businesses poaching talent from each other.
A statement from the chamber says that the survey revealed an immediate need for 4,400 roles in Auckland plus a further 1,300 for construction and about 1,000 for the aged care sector.
Eighty seven percent of the respondents indicated a shortage of skills now and in the immediate future.
Chamber CEO, Michael Barnett, says the situation is now critical for business growth and continuity and the situation was delivering some perverse outcomes.
“What we are seeing is firms poaching from each other which is creating wage inflation that is not sustainable. This is prevalent in the technology sector, transport, and hospitality.”
He says New Zealand has already lost thousands to the Australian market and “we need to have plan in place that allows business to recruit offshore safely with some urgency”.
The chamber says the survey also tells us a story of active Australian recruiters offering roles in the tech and construction sectors with offers of $30,000 more in wages plus relocation and expenses.
Other outcomes included:
- A small business which has paid out more than $16,000 in job advertising this year.
• An SME with nine staff, some who had been with them over five years, had lost all staff.
• Crane operators and truck drivers are in high demand as are those in administration, marketing, and construction.
