Job ads down 2.9pc in May

By NZPA

Tuesday 11th June 2002

The number of jobs advertised in May fell from April but in seasonally-adjusted terms the trend was still up, the ANZ Bank said today.

Job ads fell 2.9 during the month, bringing levels down 4.4 percent lower than May last year, according to the ANZ job ads series.

ANZ chief economist David Drage blamed post-Easter volatility for the small fall, eroding some of the 6.2 percent gain in April.

"While job ad levels have fluctuated since the beginning of the year, they nevertheless appear to be on an upward trend, following weakness in the second half of 2001," he said.

Decreases in advertised work were recorded in the main centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, but all the provinces recorded increases.

Auckland job levels fell 1.9 percent, following rises since February, and Wellington eased 3 percent following a sharp rise of 9.8 percent in job ads in April.

Viewed over the last few months, however, Auckland and Wellington were showing signs of recovery, while Christchurch remained weak, the ANZ survey said.

Christchurch fell 9.8 percent, against a 3 percent increase in April. Although job ads had trended down since peaking in mid-2001, there were signs that the rate of decline had slowed in recent months.

However, rurally-based Otago is enjoying record levels of job growth. Advertised work rose by 8.2 percent in May -- 4.7 percent than the previous peak in July last year.

The Internet jobs ads series rose 10 pecent in May, reinforcing an upward trend since February. That put paid to a sharp decline in the previous seven months but was still 24 percent below its peak in June last year.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet