Now's a good time to be a job hunter — career site

November 21, 2021

Reporter Whena Owen asks businesses and economists why it is so difficult to find workers right now.

Businesses across Aotearoa are struggling to find people to fill vacancies, and there’s a warning that job-seekers could be shopping around.

Take the construction sector.

Skilled construction workers have never been in more demand — but instead of just Kiwi firms competing against each other, they’re also having to keep an eye on Australia.

Firms across the ditch want Kiwis, and they’re offering workers better pay, alongside Australia’s lower cost of living.

Drake International’s Wellington-based manager Steve Humphrey said he’d heard stories of hammer hands being offered $40 to $50 an hour.

“My big concern over the next two years is whether we’ll start to see some of that younger talent heading to Australia,” he said.

Among the other sectors crying out for workers are the trades, services, IT, healthcare, and transport.

To meet the challenge, Humphrey said there were opportunities to train people who were currently unemployed or were looking to upskill.

Cool Moves owner Sally Munro said it was “almost impossible to get staff” at her moving company.

She said, a year ago, she could have put an ad out and, within two days, have 20 applications.

“Now, I’m lucky to get one or two in a month,” she said.

Unemployment is low, and TradeMe jobs director Matt Tolich said he saw the highest ever average salary advertised on the site in October, at $67,000.

Employers were also offering other perks, like more flexibility, Tolich said.

“We’ve seen overseas things like the ‘great resignation’ which could be coming to New Zealand.

“All indicators are there. People think about the satisfaction levels in their current role during lockdown.

“It’s never been a better time to be a job-hunter,” Tolich said.

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