Labour demand remains high

Strong growth in the number of Hawke's Bay job ads has cooled but labour demand remains double the national average, according to the latest ANZ job advertising data.

The number of job ads was up 8.3 per cent for April year-on-year after a sustained period of double-digit growth.

Hawke's Bay recorded more than 20 per cent growth over some months last year but the ANZ report said growth was "fading to more sustainable levels" as other regions climbed back into positive figures year-on-year.

National job advertising in May was up 4.6 per cent compared with the same period last year.

In March the growth rate in job ads was 10 per cent compared to 17.7 for the same time last year.

Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce CEO Wayne Walford said there may be a plateau in new hiring until "the next level" of growth was achieved.

Growth could be achieved through confidence alone "until they get to a new level of productivity, or income, or market [share] that will enable them to employ to the next level".

"I don't think there is that continued growth in market and sales to keep employing more and more people," he said.

"The other option now is to create new jobs or to have businesses come into the region."

Achieving that required work on many fronts but he cited last week's Hawke's Bay International Marathon as showing the region in an attractive way. He said people and their businesses were more likely to be excited about moving to Hawke's Bay if its people were positive and showed good levels of creativity.

Auckland recorded the strongest year-on-year growth at 10.8 per cent and Canterbury the weakest with a fall of 14 per cent.