The number of newspaper job advertisements lifted by 5.5% in April as the series continued to gradually recover from a near 30% fall in January, the ANZ Job Ads series shows.
Nationwide internet job advertising fell by 0.9% in the same month, its third consecutive fall. The upward trend is under threat.
Annual growth in the three-month average of internet job advertising is now 5.8% versus 9.3% in March.
In the regional figures released by ANZ this week, the Otago Daily Times job advertisements continue to climb from a low in January and led newspaper advertising when compared with jobs advertised in Waikato, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu.
Hawkes Bay job ads grew, reflecting improved fortunes in the pipfruit and tourism industries while jobs advertised in Waikato fell, due to the dairy sector slowdown.
ANZ senior economist Sharon Zollner said annual growth in job ads continued to slow in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Only Auckland experienced higher numbers of ads than a year ago. Auckland ads were up 8.9% on a three-month rolling average, Canterbury was down 4% on the same measure and Wellington job ads were down 6.8%.
''We expect modest employment growth this year after a strong performance in 2014 - partly as economic growth eases and partly because skilled workers have become very difficult to find.''
The unemployment rate was anticipated to ease modestly over the coming year from its current level of 5.8%, she said.
