Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

Job ads increased by 9.3% year on year in 2011, according to new data released by www.seek.co.nz today.

This nationwide rise in the SEEK New Job Ad Index spells a positive close to last year's job market.

"After a positive 2010, continued growth in new jobs over the last 12 months is an encouraging sign of a strengthening labour market," says Janet Faulding, General Manager of SEEK New Zealand.

Wellington and Canterbury both recorded strong year on year growth in new job ads, with the SEEK New Job Ad Index rising by 7.9% in Wellington and by a substantial 52.8% in Canterbury.

And there is further good news for jobseekers; the growth in new job ads was larger than the growth in applications over the last 12 months. The SEEK Employment Index (SEI) measures the ratio of new job ads placed on SEEK, the country's largest job source, to the number of applications for those jobs. A nationwide year on year increase of 2.9% in the SEI illustrates that the number of new jobs listed on www.seek.co.nz is growing at a faster rate than applications for those roles.

As with the SEEK New Job Ad Index, the SEI increase in Canterbury, a significant 66% year on year, outstrips other regions suggesting that while job opportunities continue to grow in the quake ravaged region, the number of active jobseekers has not. Ms Faulding explains;

"The rebuild of Christchurch has seen a significant increase in the demand for labour however, as shown by data released by Statistics New Zealand, the region's population has decreased as residents move to other New Zealand cities or overseas. In addition, new residents are not currently being attracted to the region."

In December, recruitment agency positions made SEEK's list of most sought after employees for only the second time in 2011.

"As with December 2010, recruitment agency employees were in high demand in December and this could indicate an expectation of increased demand for recruitment services in coming months as firms look to hire new staff. This trend is definitely reflective of the spike in activity we see on www.seek.co.nz during the first quarter of the year as people return from holiday and reassess their career goals for the year ahead," comments Ms Faulding.

Job Applications December's top five most competitive occupations: Retail and Consumer Products - Retail Assistants

Administration and Office Support - Administrative Assistants Hospitality and Tourism - Chefs/Cooks Sales - Sales representatives/Consultants

Information and Communication Technology - Developers/Programmers

Retail Assistant roles remained the most competitive jobs in New Zealand throughout the December, receiving more applications per job advertised than any other on www.seek.co.nz. Cook and chef roles appeared for the second month running, while sales representative and consultant roles and IT developer and programmer roles made the list for the first time.

December's top five most sought after employees: Accounting - Business Services and Corporate Advisory Healthcare and Medical - Nursing; General Medical and Surgical Trades and Services - Automotive Trades

Human Resources and Recruitment - Recruitment; Agency

Engineering - Civil/Structural Engineering

Those working in business service and corporate advisory roles are the most sought after employees in New Zealand, followed by general medical and surgical nurses, a new entry in December. Like December 2010, recruitment agency roles make the list this month, perhaps indicating a seasonal hiring trend. These roles receive the least number of applications per job advertised, meaning employers find these positions hardest to fill.