Demand rising for top job skills

The search for highly skilled workers is getting tougher, although the broader jobs market is softening, the Labour Department's latest Job Vacancy Monitor shows.

Job advertisements for highly skilled workers - including engineers, health workers, teachers, lawyers, architects and accountants - rose 24 per cent between August 2004 and August 2005. It is the biggest annual gain since the survey began in 2003. The skill shortage was felt most keenly in the IT sector, where job vacancies rose 54 per cent.

The latest survey was a mixed bag, however, with demand for skilled labour - particularly in the building and metal trades - falling 8 per cent in the period.

Semi-skilled/elementary work - including plant and machinery operators, agriculture and fishery vacancies - rose 7 per cent, the lowest turnout in two years.

Overall, the job vacancy index rose 6 per cent, the slowest annual growth since the series began. It has been trending down since an April 2004 peak of 26 per cent.

"The labour market is still tight, and there is stiff competition among employers to recruit staff," the department said. "However, the considerable slowdown in [overall] vacancy growth suggests that conditions may have eased."

The biggest growth areas over the year to August were the West Coast (42 per cent), Northland (39 per cent) and Taranaki (35 per cent).

Regions showing the slowest growth were Nelson/Tasman (down 6 per cent), Canterbury (up 3 per cent) and Gisborne (up 6 per cent).

- NZPA