The New Zealand job market finished 2021 on a high note, with the ball still firmly in the job hunters’ court, according to the analysis of 69,600 vacancies listed on Trade Me Jobs for the quarter ending 31 December (Q4).

Trade Me Jobs Sales Director Matt Tolich said the total number of job listings in 2021 increased by 51 percent when compared with the year prior, while the national average salary jumped 5 percent year-on-year. ”2021 was a remarkable year for the job market, with listing numbers outperforming the most optimistic of predictions made at the beginning of the year.”

On the whole, Mr Tolich said Covid-19 continued to shake up the market in 2021, as it had in 2020. “Last year we saw some huge job listing fluctuations mostly due to the impact of the lockdowns. As the year came to a close, Q4 saw the market find its rhythm again with the market cooling off from the huge peaks we saw earlier in the year, to a more sustainable level of growth.”

Mr Tolich said in Q4, the number of job listings increased by 25 percent when compared with the same period in the year prior while the national average salary jumped 6 percent to reach a record-breaking $66,946. “This is the second record-breaking quarter in a row for salaries - another sign that the market is in good shape.”

Looking ahead to 2022, Mr Tolich said it’s still a job seekers’ market. “2021 was truly the year of the job hunter, with record-breaking listing numbers and salaries. Job hunters will be pleased to hear that this is still very much the case as we enter the new year.

“We’re still facing a massive candidate shortage which will not be alleviated until the borders are open again. This, paired with the all-time high average salaries and the increasing number of job listings mean job hunters are still very much in the driver's seat. There has never been a better time for Kiwis to check out the market and explore their options, or ask for a pay rise.”

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