[New Zealand] Every region hits record average salaries

Every region in New Zealand reached a new record advertised average salary last quarter and many provinces broke the $70,000 mark for the first time, Stuff reports.

The regions with the largest annual advertised salary growth in the third quarter of 2023, July to September, were Wellington (to $76,041), Southland ($70,106), Otago ($70,977), Canterbury ($70,404) and Marlborough ($70,039), according to research from auction and classifieds site Trade Me. All had average pay rises between 9 per cent and 10 per cent above the same time last year.

Matt Tolich - Trade Me Jobs sales director - said Auckland and Wellington no longer held the title of the only $70,000 regions.

“Several regions broke the $70,000 mark for the first time last quarter, including Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Marlborough, Otago, Southland and Taranaki,” he said.

In addition, the national average advertised salary rose 8 per cent year-on-year, increasing nearly $5500 on the same time last year to reach $71,820. This increase was slightly higher than the latest inflation figures from Stats NZ at 6 per cent.

Mr Tolich said, “This will be music to the ears of many Kiwis.

“For the past 12 months, we have seen the national average salary break record after record as employers are forced to put more money on the table to help Kiwis combat the rising cost of living.”

The roles that saw the largest annual percentage increase in salary were in telecommunications, with a 17 per cent annual uplift in average wage to $85,728, and roofers with another 17 per cent jump, taking the average wage to $81,516.

Psychologists and counsellors were reportedly in third place with an 18 per cent hike taking average pay to $84,797. The average salary for estimators in construction and roading rose 19 per cent to $114,872.

Trade Me monitored 25 industries and 15 reached a record average salary record last quarter.

Mr Tolich said the largest sector increases were seen in healthcare, up 10 per cent; trades and services, up 9 per cent; manufacturing and operations, up 9 per cent; education, up 8 per cent; and hospitality and tourism, up 8 per cent.

Job applications also reportedly surged on Trade Me. The past six months saw an 88 per cent spike in total job applications when compared with the same time last year.

This is the highest number of applications the site has seen since 2018.

Caregiving roles were the most applied for in September, followed by drivers and couriers, farmers, store people and housekeepers.

Job listings were down 7.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 when compared to the previous quarter.

Mr Tolich said, “Our customers have told us that they’re waiting until they know who will be running the country for the next three years before they make that next hire.

“This behaviour isn’t surprising and, with our data going right back to 2009, is typical with almost every general election as businesses wait to see how the cards fall.”

He added that, with job listings down and applications up, it was a great time to be hiring.

“No matter what the outcome of the general election is, we expect job listings to bounce back in November and into the New Year.”

Source: Stuff

(Quotes via original reporting)

Every region in New Zealand reached a new record advertised average salary last quarter and many provinces broke the $70,000 mark for the first time, Stuff reports.

The regions with the largest annual advertised salary growth in the third quarter of 2023, July to September, were Wellington (to $76,041), Southland ($70,106), Otago ($70,977), Canterbury ($70,404) and Marlborough ($70,039), according to research from auction and classifieds site Trade Me. All had average pay rises between 9 per cent and 10 per cent above the same time last year.

Matt Tolich - Trade Me Jobs sales director - said Auckland and Wellington no longer held the title of the only $70,000 regions.

“Several regions broke the $70,000 mark for the first time last quarter, including Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Marlborough, Otago, Southland and Taranaki,” he said.

In addition, the national average advertised salary rose 8 per cent year-on-year, increasing nearly $5500 on the same time last year to reach $71,820. This increase was slightly higher than the latest inflation figures from Stats NZ at 6 per cent.

Mr Tolich said, “This will be music to the ears of many Kiwis.

“For the past 12 months, we have seen the national average salary break record after record as employers are forced to put more money on the table to help Kiwis combat the rising cost of living.”

The roles that saw the largest annual percentage increase in salary were in telecommunications, with a 17 per cent annual uplift in average wage to $85,728, and roofers with another 17 per cent jump, taking the average wage to $81,516.

Psychologists and counsellors were reportedly in third place with an 18 per cent hike taking average pay to $84,797. The average salary for estimators in construction and roading rose 19 per cent to $114,872.

Trade Me monitored 25 industries and 15 reached a record average salary record last quarter.

Mr Tolich said the largest sector increases were seen in healthcare, up 10 per cent; trades and services, up 9 per cent; manufacturing and operations, up 9 per cent; education, up 8 per cent; and hospitality and tourism, up 8 per cent.

Job applications also reportedly surged on Trade Me. The past six months saw an 88 per cent spike in total job applications when compared with the same time last year.

This is the highest number of applications the site has seen since 2018.

Caregiving roles were the most applied for in September, followed by drivers and couriers, farmers, store people and housekeepers.

Job listings were down 7.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 when compared to the previous quarter.

Mr Tolich said, “Our customers have told us that they’re waiting until they know who will be running the country for the next three years before they make that next hire.

“This behaviour isn’t surprising and, with our data going right back to 2009, is typical with almost every general election as businesses wait to see how the cards fall.”

He added that, with job listings down and applications up, it was a great time to be hiring.

“No matter what the outcome of the general election is, we expect job listings to bounce back in November and into the New Year.”

Source: Stuff

(Quotes via original reporting)