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New Zealand Job Ads Rise 0.6% in August, Up 9.7% Annually, Says Seek

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New Zealand job ads rose 0.6% month on month in August and are 9.7% higher year on year, with applications per job ad rising 0.9% month on month despite the increase in available opportunities, according to a Thursday report by Seek.

The report said 4% of job ads reference artificial intelligence skills, with mentions rising 4.4% month on month and over 93% year-on-year, while job ads with high-automation exposure are now 0.1% lower year on year as those with medium or low exposure continue to rise.

Several regions are recording double-digit annual growth, including West Coast at about 25%, Otago at roughly 19%, and Canterbury at nearly 16%, while Manawatū, Hawke's Bay, Northland, and Taranaki were the only regions where job ads declined month-on-month, the report added.

The consumer services sector also grew significantly, led by hospitality and tourism at 3.4% and retail and consumer products at 3.3%, per the report.

Seek NZ country manager Rob Clark said Auckland enjoyed exceptional monthly growth in August, growing at its fastest pace in over four years, driven by increasing demand for manufacturing, transport, tourism, and hospitality workers.

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