New Zealand businesses surprisingly advertised 11.7 percent more jobs in the March quarter, largely in the agriculture, administration and hospitality sectors, data shows.
The stronger-than-expected jobs data from Trade Me comes despite widespread layoffs in the public sector.
There was also a 15.4 percent rise in applications from the previous quarter, which Trade Me attributed to high migration levels and population increases.
However, the average yearly salary decelerated 2.2 percent quarter-on-quarter to $70,761, Trade Me said.
"This suggests that the increase in applications means employers have more choice and aren't having to reach into their back pockets as much to secure workers," Trade Me's Matt Tolich said.
Jobs advertised in the Government department sector, however, decreased by 77.2 percent year-on-year, while Wellington's average salary was down 3.3 percent quarter-on-quarter.
"Wellington also had the biggest drop in listings year on year, although the city experienced a 7.9 percent boost for the quarter.
"The number of job applications in Wellington increased 17.7 percent compared to the October to December period. This compared with 15.1 percent for Auckland."
New Zealand's official jobless rate, measured by Statistics NZ, was 4 percent in the December quarter. The March quarter's data is due later this month.
