SEEK’s latest employment report indicates job ads in New Zealand dipped 0.3% in December from November, yet remained 6.7% above year-ago levels by year-end.
“This first decline in ad volumes in more than a year was only slight, but it has halted the stable-to-positive trend we were enjoying throughout 2025,” SEEK NZ country manager Rob Clark said.
Applications per job fell by only 0.1%, signalling sustained strong competition for roles.
Construction job ads saw the sharpest monthly rise at 3.4%, trailed by engineering, trades, and services.
Annually, demand for construction workers surged 42.9%, which Clark linked to major infrastructure projects ramping up.
“Ongoing and new investment in major infrastructure projects continues to drive employment growth in the construction and affiliated industries, with most regions recording rising demand for workers in those roles,” Clark explained.
South Island and North Island’s provincial areas witnessed the strongest growth in job ads. However, it stayed soft in Auckland, dropping 1.1% in December and 0.7% over the year.
Wellington held steady in December, with job ads up 9.4% year-on-year—though from a low base.
“Not all sectors are growing, with softer activity in the professional and consumer services, and public sectors stagnating monthly growth in Wellington and leading to a decline in Auckland,” Clark said.
Despite job ads dipping for the month, Clark observed that the long-term trends indicate a rebounding job market, featuring areas of growing opportunities, though advancing gradually, as 2026 approaches.