[Weekly wrap] Job ads rise as do hiring intentions; Entries open for health and safety awards

New Zealand’s employment outlook continues its upward trend while entries are being sought for the 2014 New Zealand Workplace Health & Safety Awards and submissions for the Agriculture health and safety guidelines.

10% rise in job ads
Job listings continued to rise in February with SEEK revealing a 10% increase with more than 22,000 new job ads posted on SEEK this February, compared to just 20,000 for the equivalent period last year.
The Auckland market boasted the majority of job opportunities in New Zealand with a total of over 11,000 positions online (50% of the roles advertised in February on SEEK). Other metropolitans showed steady year on year growth with Wellington having close to 4,000 jobs in February, a 7% increase and Canterbury nearly 3,500 jobs online, also reflecting a 7% rise.  Regionally, Marlborough increased by 22%, Waikato 19%, Otago 18% and the Bay of Plenty 9%.
Job application numbers were also up across New Zealand with a 6% increase year on year.

Kiwi employers still looking to hire
The latest results from the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey show hiring intentions across the country have increased by six percentage points to a Net Employment Outlook of +27%.
The survey, which asks 650 New Zealand employers about their hiring plans for the coming quarter, found that 33% of employers plan to increase hiring in the second quarter of this year, while four percent plan to decrease and 62% will make no change. The resulting Outlook of +27% is the strongest reported by New Zealand’s employers in nearly seven years.
Across the regions, employers in Christchurch and Auckland reported a quarter-on-quarter increase in hiring intentions of six percentage points to a Net Employment Outlook of +27%. In Wellington, employers expect a slight rise in outlook of two percentage points quarter-on-quarter to +24%

Celebrate health and safety initiatives

Entries are now being accepted for the 2014 New Zealand Workplace Health & Safety Awards.
The Awards run by Safeguard and supported by ACC and WorkSafe New Zealand acknowledge people and teams who have demonstrated commitment, excellence and achievement in helping to improve health and safety in the workplace.
A full list of categories available for entry and other information including entry forms and can be found at Safeguard website. Entries close 14 April.

Agriculture sector asked for input on health and safety

WorkSafe New Zealand has released a suite of draft health and safety guidelines for those working in the agriculture industry for public consultation.
 WorkSafe NZ’s National Programmes Manager, Francois Barton said that the draft guidelines are based on accepted best practice and have been developed in partnership with industry bodies and subject experts to ensure they meet the needs of New Zealand farmers. 
The deadline for submissions is 5pm, 28 March. For more information and to provide feedback visit www.business.govt.nz/worksafe. Finalised guidelines will be published in June 2014.

Career Partners New Zealand wins award
Career Partners New Zealand (CPI) has received the Satisfaction Award for maintaining the highest overall satisfaction levels of career transition and outplacement participants among all Career Partners International offices worldwide.
Terry McCloy, Managing Director of Career Partners New Zealand said: “This is a wonderful recognition of the outstanding commitment to world class service that we in Career Partners New Zealand have to both our clients and our participants – it is a recognition that we are the best in the world. With over 200 offices globally being measured and rated, it is an outstanding achievement for our team.”

Recent articles & video

Woolworths pleads guilty in $1.1-million wage underpayment case

Job ads decline by 0.4% in New Zealand in March

Thank you to the judges of the 2024 HRD Awards New Zealand

Is your flexible work arrangement diluting organisational culture?

Most Read Articles

Best practice for handling fixed-term agreements in New Zealand

Recap: Winners of the 2024 HRD Awards New Zealand

Kiwi firms still looking to hire despite challenging economy