August Market News with Fred.

Who’s sick of winter?!  We are sick of winter!  Not to be confused with who’s been actually sick this winter – what a ride, count yourself lucky if you’ve dodged the flu, you have a commendable immune system!

We can certainly not complain that the skies are generally clear and blue however, it’s going to be so welcome when the dial turns on the temperature and we can get some long awaited spring vibes and vitamin D into us all.

Despite a long slow winter outside, the hustle has been real inside at Fred this month.  The rise in volume around specialist support roles continues, we love to see it and these roles are turning up some high numbers of quality applications.

C-Suite appointments remain highly competitive and at the pinched end of the market. Never a better time to be hiring into your senior leadership teams, with some exceptional talent available.  The feedback we are getting would indicate it can be many months out of the market, a lot of ‘reality checking’ and self reflection for this sector of job seekers.  So if you’re looking to appoint and questioning your timing, it couldn’t be better, and you’re set to get incredible value out of the right appointment.

Spotlight on manufacturing

Good news if you’re in manufacturing, according to BNZ, the sector posted its strongest result since 2021, and honestly, even economists who track this stuff every month were caught off guard.

The BNZ–BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (basically a monthly health check on the sector) jumped to 59.7 in June. For context, anything above 50 means the sector’s growing, and 59.7 is well above the long-term average of 52.5.

We’re not talking about a small lift here, up from 51.3 in May and 50.6 in April, this is a leap!

Accounting and finance observations

Intermediate and senior BAS accountants remain some of the most highly sought after in the recruitment market.  Some data reports a softening in the grad space that has created a smaller more in demand candidate pool.

New Zealand’s largest accounting and business advisory firms collectively shed over 500 jobs last financial year, even as demand for genuine advisory work, restructuring, tax strategy, business planning, keeps climbing. It’s a market where big-firm headcount is shrinking but the actual advice is more sought after than ever, which is opening real space for boutique and mid-tier firms willing to pick up the volume the majors have scaled back on. Tax specialists remain the standout exception, still commanding a premium and proving hard to find regardless of firm size.

CPA Australia, Salary pressures ease in New Zealand accountancy sector

Here’s some Seek data across the nation;

Job ads dipped in July, but it’s not the full story

SEEK’s July report showed national job ad volumes down 0.8% on June, the fourth straight monthly fall once revised data is accounted for.

Even so, ads are still up 6.2% year on year, so employers are advertising more than they were this time last year, the market’s just settling rather than surging.

Applications per job ad rose 1.6%, the second month of increases, a sign candidates are having to work harder to stand out.

Conditions aren’t even across the country. SEEK NZ country manager Rob Clark noted the South Island continues to hold up best, while Auckland, Wellington and Waikato are facing greater headwinds.

Read more via RNZ

AI skills are showing up in job ads at pace

Still a small slice of the market, but 3.7% of NZ job ads now reference AI or AI related skills, nearly double what it was a year ago, and well ahead of Australia’s 2.1%. Most of that demand sits in IT roles, but it’s a trend worth watching if you’re writing job ads or CVs at the moment, a line or two on AI literacy is quickly becoming expected rather than a nice to have.

Industry hot spots

Mining, Resources & Energy remains the standout performer, up 38.5% year on year.

Construction dipped nationally (down 0.9%), but South Island regions outside Canterbury bucked the trend, up 2.7% month on month.

Healthcare & Medical ad volumes eased again in July, continuing a pull back that started in February, worth flagging for anyone recruiting clinical roles at the moment.

Full SEEK July report

FredMed market update

‘State of Emergency’

North Shore Hospital’s Emergency Department has been placed under significant pressure, with staff recently declaring a “state of emergency” over unsafe staffing levels and overcrowding.

The situation highlights the continued workforce challenges facing New Zealand’s health system and the importance of maintaining sufficient clinical capacity across hospitals, urgent care and primary care.

Primary care remains a priority

Improving access to general practice remains a key focus, with Health New Zealand targeting 80% of patients being offered an appointment with their usual GP within five working days.

For practices, achieving this will require the right workforce capacity and effective long-term recruitment planning.

Nursing workforce showing positive signs

There are encouraging signs in the nursing pipeline, with more nurses progressing into frontline roles. However, shortages remain in particular locations and specialties, meaning recruitment and retention continue to be important priorities for employers.

International recruitment remains important

International healthcare professionals continue to play an important role in supporting New Zealand’s workforce.

For organisations facing difficult-to-fill vacancies, starting an international recruitment campaign early can significantly expand the available candidate pool and reduce pressure when vacancies arise.