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New Zealand Job Ads Volume Grew for 18th Consecutive Month in May, Seek Says

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The volume of job ads in New Zealand ticked 0.3% higher in May from April to post their 18th consecutive month of growth, according to a Thursday employment report by Seek.

Job ads now stand at the highest volume in over two years, although they have not yet reached levels seen before the pandemic.

Applications per job ad rose 0.6% month over month in April, increasing for the first time since mid-2025, according to the report.

Meanwhile, job ads that reference artificial intelligence skills increased 3.9% in May from the previous month and now represent 3.3% of total job ads, the report said.

Seek pointed to strong growth outside the main metropolitan areas, with West Coast, Southland, and Canterbury all posting notable monthly and annual gains, while the volume of ads in Auckland and Wellington fell slightly from the previous month but remain higher compared with a year earlier.

"The market and outlook remains tough and some sectors are clearly navigating within a conservative environment - but on balance, this is a job market that is moving in the right direction," said Rob Clark, Seek's country manager for New Zealand.

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