Over a year on from New Zealand’s level four lockdown, businesses and communities alike have experienced their fair share of highs and lows. Employment levels slumped to an eight year low in September 2020, with over 150,000 unemployed people. So nearly six months on, how does the job market stack up now?  

Statistics released by Seek NZ reveal that March 2021 saw the highest number of jobs ever advertised on the site. Listings for jobs were up 11% on the prior month and up 55% on March 2020.  

With an abundance of listings, job hopefuls should feel optimistic that their career or job search is looking up. However, employers may be feeling the pressure to find the right fit. It isnot uncommon for hiring managers to have post hire regrets when they find their new hire isn’t fit for the role, and this inevitably comes at a cost. 

New Zealand employers have cited increased stress on colleagues, increased workload for existing team members and increased stress on managers as the three top consequences of a bad hire.  

Despite the above, the current state of the job market shows positive signs for NZ’s ongoing recovery in response to Covid-19. A resurgence in listings for hospitality and tourism provides a spark of optimism for a sector which has been hit particularly hard.