Job listings are up dramatically on last year, but pay rates have dropped for most jobs, online auction site Trade Me says.
A study of 30,726 jobs listed on the website in the second quarter of 2010 found the number of listings rose 15%, from 26,615, in the first quarter of the year.
The number was up 29%, from 23,757 at the same time last year, boosted by business and consumer confidence that the recession had passed, Trade Me's commercial head Jimmy McGee said.
Information technology, sales, and human resources and recruitment were the most active areas, each up more than 30% on the same time last year.
Taranaki was leading the growth, up 43% on the first quarter, followed by Gisborne with 27% growth, Auckland with 21% and Wellington's job listings growing by 19%.
Pay packets had dropped for most jobs over the past year, Mr McGee said.
But some sectors were bucking the trend, with pay rates for information technology project managers up 17% in the past year, and pay rates for business analysts up 11%.
Wellington was one of the few areas where pay rates rose, with Wellington city the highest paid location with an average pay of $74,647. Horowhenua was the lowest paid region, with an average pay of $42,045.
Healthcare sector recruitment had pushed Whangarei and the Far North into the top paid locations, Mr McGee said.
The rate of growth in the job market was expected to slow amidst concerns over a potential "double dip" recession, but pay rates for skilled workers would rise with demand, he said.
