Pay rates have risen by more than 30 percent over a couple of years in one industry as the number of job listings in New Zealand again jumped to record levels.
Manufacturing, transport and logistics was the industry with the highest salary growth for a production worker role - up 33 percent since late 2019 to an average salary of $47,600, according to job website Seek.
Salaries for sorters ($44,902) and labourers ($45,172) in the manufacturing industry also rose by 28 and 27 percent respectively.
Other roles that saw big average salary spikes in the same period included grocery assistants (up 30 percent to $47,323), accounting roles (up 28 pct to $106,789), traffic controllers (up 28 pct to $46,561), healthcare and medical coordinators (up 28 pct to $74,860), hospitality and tourism guest services agents (up 26 pct to $45,549), checkout operators (up 26 pct to $46,670) and trades service managers (up 26 pct to $105,976).
According to Seek's employment report, the number of ads in April was up 3 percent on the previous month to a record high. Yearly growth for job listings was at 15 percent.
Seek country manager Rob Clark said businesses were extremely stretched for workers.
"Labourers, retail assistants and healthcare coordinators have remained in high demand and in this talent-short market, hirers are looking to boost their starting salaries in a bid to attract these workers."
He said the market was booming in all New Zealand regions, in all sectors.
Clark said there was no better time for workers to take the leap if they were looking for a change.
Advertisements in hospitality and tourism climbed 30 percent in April from the previous month, which Clark said was "phenomenal".
There was strong growth in month-on-month job listings throughout the country including Hawke's Bay (up 15 percent), Bay of Plenty (11 pct), Wellington (4 pct) and Auckland (3 pct). Only two regions were down on the previous month; Southland (10 pct) and Manawatu (5 pct).
