Candidate activity also dipped as focus shifted
Job listings in New Zealand were down 3% year-on-year in the last quarter of 2025, according to new Trade Me Jobs data, with the year ending on a seasonal wind-down ahead of the holiday break.
Nationwide listing volumes fell by 19% in the October to December period in 2025, a turnaround from the marginal year-on-year recovery recorded in the previous quarter.
Nicole Williams, head of Trade Me Jobs, attributed the decline to businesses and job seekers who are winding down for the holiday break.
"While the marginal recovery we noted in spring was encouraging, this year-on-year listings dip of three per cent reminds us that the market remains in a period of cautious adjustment," Williams said in a statement.
Decline in job listings
The biggest contributors to the national decline in job listings are healthcare (-13%), manufacturing and operations (-18%), and retail (-15%).
"Despite healthcare listings and applications per listing falling this quarter, it remains one of our most in-demand categories. Caregiving and nursing roles are especially sought after," Williams said.
Further year-on-year declines were also recorded in other industries, with exceptions being:
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry (+15%)
- Automotive (+14%)
- Construction and roading (+8%)
Candidate activity also down
Meanwhile, the report also revealed that candidate activity went down with the drop in job listings.
The number of applications per job listing decreased by nine per cent both on the previous quarter and year-on-year, according to the findings.
"After competition reached record-highs earlier in the year, we are finally seeing some of that pressure ease for Kiwi job seekers," Williams said.
Candidate activity was down 16% year-on-year in Hamilton. It was also down in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
Wellington, on the other hand, saw applications per job listing going up by two per cent on the same quarter in 2024.
