Temporary job vacancies in Otago and Southland have increased in the past three months, despite economic conditions affecting several large employers in the region.
Adecco Personnel Ltd Otago and Southland manager Teresa Moore said the number of vacancies for permanent positions remained steady, but the number of temporary job vacancies had increased from 100 to more than 300 in the past two months.
"Temporary vacancies are going ballistic because it allows business owners to be more flexible.
"They can take on staff if and when they need them, rather than be tied into long-term employment contracts.
"My temporary consultants are literally being run off their feet."
Select Recruitment managing director Karen Bardwell has noticed similar growth in temporary job vacancies at her agency.
She said vacancies had increased to about 350, but the surprise bonus was that 40% of the people taking up those jobs during the past six months had been taken on permanently by their employers.
"To us, that is an indicator that there are still vacancies out there and business confidence is still high in the industrial sector."
Work and Income southern region labour market manager Paul Casson said the 75 employees who took voluntary redundancy from Cadburys yesterday and the 300 to be made redundant at Fisher and Paykel before May this year could take solace in the job market.
Work and Income's website showed there were 172 permanent jobs available yesterday in the Southern Region (from Timaru south) across a wide range, including the transport, hospitality, viticulture, horticulture, dairy, automotive and ski-field industries.
Mr Casson said permanent job availability was "fluid" and had risen to almost 370 at the end of February.
"They come and go right across the region.
''It's sitting about right at the moment - normally we have about 150."
