January represents 'new start' for job seekers, unhappy employees
Kiwi workplaces could see a spike in sick days this January as employees are likely on the lookout for a new employer, according to Trade Me Jobs.
The job portal said January sees the highest job listing views throughout the year, with the last week of the month usually reaching about 1.6 million viewings.
Trade Me Jobs even registered its highest-ever day of web traffic on January 24, 2023, with more than half a million views of job listings in 24 hours, according to the firm.
Matt Tolich, Sales Director at Trade Me Jobs, said this was also the same week that former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she was stepping down.
"Goes to show Kiwi at all points of their career will be thinking about revamping their resume this month," Tolich said in a statement.
"I suspect that everyday Kiwi workplaces could see a spike in dentist appointments or sick days - because tens of thousands of us are secretly going through the job recruitment process in January."
Tolich attributed the situation to the new year representing a fresh start for employees and jobseekers alike.
"This is a mixture of the new year representing a new start and is an optimistic time for job hunters, along with a potential sense of frustration for those returning to a workplace which they may no longer enjoy after the summer break," he said.
'Job Hunt January'
To highlight the massive job searches happening this month, Trade Me Jobs launched a "Job Hunt January," which features a line-up of temporary paid roles that it described as some of the "best jobs ever listed on the site."
The top three roles listed on the platform include:
- 'Wicked Wing Taste Tester' for KFC
- 'Chief Hype Officer' for the Fijian Drua
- 'Social Meow-dia Specialist' for Petdirect
"At Trade Me Jobs, we love to help Kiwi embrace the new and have more than 10,000 job listings across every industry from construction to retail, hospitality to farming," Tolich said.
"But right now, we've also got a few very special job listings – such as our Social Meow-dia Specialist for Petdirect – which are designed to help more New Zealanders embrace the new and join the new year, new job movement."
