Jobs boom as rural sector leads growth

Nationally, 11.5 per cent more jobs were listed on SEEK in August than in the same month last year. Photo / Thinkstock

The number of new Hawke's Bay jobs listed on SEEK last month was up 22 per cent on the same time last year, as employment opportunities in farming improve around the country.

According to online employment marketplace SEEK, new job listings for Hawke's Bay were 22 per cent higher than the previous August, leading some of the highest growth in the country.

SEEK New Zealand general manager Janet Faulding said the volume of new job ads nationwide was much higher than a year ago.

"The current demand for labour is being underpinned by key sectors such as agriculture, construction and real estate.

"The most significant rise in the last 12 months has been New Zealand's farming industry, with new job ads up 83 per cent," she said.

Nationally, 11.5 per cent more jobs were listed on SEEK in August than in the same month last year.

Auckland job ads grew 3.4 per cent from July to August, while Wellington's jumped 9.7 per cent - potentially driven by the election.

Rotorua enjoyed a 26 per cent jump, and Wanganui was up 18 per cent.

However, job listings in Northland were down nine per cent on the previous August.

Federated Farmers' spokesman Andrew Hoggard said the lift in opportunities reaffirmed New Zealand's future as a "primary exporting super power".

"New Zealand's increasingly sophisticated farming system is driving the need for skills and knowledge as our primary industries are on track to double export returns by 2025.

"While dairy farming is the backbone of New Zealand's primary exports, employment growth goes beyond the farm gate, into agricultural science, manufacturing and international business."

Mr Hoggard said there were great opportunities for workers looking to move into the farming industry.

"An increasingly skilled labour force is needed to support the industry, from technical product development right through to marketing."

More than 250 farming roles are currently advertised on SEEK, including 45 in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato, 47 in Northland and Auckland, and 35 in Otago and Southland.

The jobs range from farm workers, accountants and agricultural sales to business managers.

- APNZ