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\nThe number of job advertisments continued to grow in March.
\nPhoto: RNZ\n<\/p>\n
The number of job advertisments continued to grow<\/a> in March, although at a slower pace than in previous months.<\/p>\n The latest SEEK NZ Employment Report showed job ads rose 0.8 percent in March compared with February, but were still 13 percent higher than a year earlier.<\/p>\n At the same time, competition for jobs continued to ease, with applications per job ad falling 2.8 percent from the previous month – the sixth consecutive monthly decline.<\/p>\n At a regional level, the South Island remained the standout.<\/p>\n SEEK NZ country manager Rob Clark said the region’s positive momentum had been a defining feature of the job market so far in 2026, although the recovery was becoming more broad\u2011based.<\/p>\n “Southland and Otago continue to grow steadily, with rising demand in the construction and industrial sectors,” he said.<\/p>\n “Growth also broadened in the North Island in March, with Taranaki and Waikato driving monthly gains.”<\/p>\n Job ads in Wellington and Auckland were broadly flat in March, although Wellington was up 11.7 percent on an annual basis.<\/p>\n Auckland remained a relative laggard, with job ads just 5.5 percent higher than a year earlier.<\/p>\n Construction remained the engine of annual growth, with job ads up 36.0 percent year\u2011on\u2011year, despite being flat over the month.<\/p>\n Trades and services, manufacturing, and transport and logistics each recorded annual growth of 22.5 percent and posted modest monthly gains.<\/p>\n However, hospitality and tourism, retail, and marketing and communications all lost ground in March.<\/p>\n “These figures reflect an economy where infrastructure, primary industries, and operational roles are driving real hiring demand,” Clark said.<\/p>\n