New report reveals easing demand for talent amid rising job applications
Demand for human resources (HR) and recruitment roles was above the annual average for September 2026, with the overall volume of job ads going up across New Zealand, according to a new report.
The latest Employment Report from SEEK NZ showed a 14.0% annual increase in job ads for HR and recruitment roles in September, and a modest 0.4% monthly increase.
The annual growth in job ads surpassed the 7.8% year-on-year growth in hiring demand from employers, according to the report. Mining, Resources and Energy roles logged the highest annual increase in job ad volume, at 41.4%.
In monthly terms, demand for HR roles was also higher than the 0.1% average increase recorded for September, as overall monthly growth continued to ease over the past six months.
"Job ads in New Zealand rose again in September, extending a run of month-on-month growth that's held for some time now," said David Swift, sales manager at SEEK NZ, in a statement.
"That said, the pace has eased over the past six months, settling into a narrower band of 0.1% to 0.3% m/m growth. Still, hiring demand remains well above last year's levels, up 7.8% y/y."
Job ads for Advertising, Arts, and Media positions saw the highest monthly increase in September, at 5.4%, while Hospitality and Tourism roles reported 3.2% growth.
"Hospitality & Tourism had a particularly strong September, growing over three per cent in the month, with businesses clearly gearing up for summer," Swift said. "We saw a real surge in demand for travel agents, tour guides, and airline roles."
Applications per job ad
Meanwhile, the volume of people applying for jobs also went up in August, according to SEEK, which records applications with a one-month delay.
August saw a 2.9% increase in applications per job ad, despite hiring demand slowly easing over the past months.
"Candidates are applying in greater numbers, with applications per job ad rising at the sharpest pace since April 2024 at 2.9% m/m," Swift said. "This suggests competition for roles remains high, even as hiring activity holds steady."
