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Job market listings and demand cool in final quarter
Oct - Dec 2025 job market update.
16 February 2026New Zealand’s employment market experienced a cooling period in the final quarter of 2025, with both listing volumes and candidate demand easing as the country headed into the summer break.
According to the latest data from Trade Me Jobs, nationwide listing volumes fell by 19 per cent in the October–December period compared to the previous quarter. This shift marks a change in fortune following the marginal year-on-year recovery seen in the July–September quarter, with overall listings for the quarter down 3 per cent year-on-year.
A seasonal wind-down sees listings fall
Trade Me Head of Jobs Nicole Williams says some of these figures, including the 19 per cent drop in listing volumes between the third and fourth quarters, reflect a winding down as businesses and job seekers shifted their focus toward the holiday break.
“While the marginal recovery we noted in spring was encouraging, this year-on-year listings dip of 3 per cent reminds us that the market remains in a period of cautious adjustment,” says Ms Williams.
The year-on-year decline in listings was seen across nearly all industries in the most recent quarter, with the only exceptions being agriculture, fishing & forestry (+15%), automotive (+14%) and construction & roading (+8%).
Healthcare (-13%), manufacturing & operations (-18%), and retail (-15%) were the biggest contributors to the national decline.
“Despite healthcare listings and applications per listing falling this quarter, it remains one of our most in-demand categories. Caregiving and nursing roles are especially sought after,” she says.
North Island provincial hubs Taranaki (-10%) and Hawke’s Bay (-18%) saw the most severe year-on-year listing declines, while the South Island continued to show pockets of resilience. Nelson/Tasman (+15%) and Southland (+22%) were the only regions to record year-on-year growth in listings.
Competition eases
Overall demand, measured by the number of applications per listing, was also down 9 per cent both on the previous quarter and year-on-year.
Demand was soft in the major centres, down 16 per cent year-on-year in Hamilton, 13 per cent in Auckland and around 12 per cent in both Christchurch and Dunedin. Wellington was
the exception, where the number of applicants per listing was up 2 per cent on the same quarter in 2024.
"After competition reached record-highs earlier in the year, we are finally seeing some of that pressure ease for Kiwi job seekers,” says Ms Williams.
Salaries trail behind inflation
The national average salary remained stagnant at $72,820, rising just 0.3 per cent year-on-year. This falls significantly behind the recently reported inflation rate of 3.1 per cent.
“Advertised salaries remained reasonably stable across the country, though regions like Marlborough (+5%) and Nelson/Tasman (+4%) saw more significant movement," Ms Williams noted.
In the construction & roading sector, average salaries fell by 2 per cent. Interestingly, this was driven by a decrease in pay for office-based and management roles, while frontline roles like labouring and machine operators actually saw slight increases.
"Even with a quieter listing environment, employers are still prepared to pay a premium for the right talent, particularly in specialised fields. We’ve seen record-high average salaries this quarter in sectors like healthcare, accounting, and trades and services. However, with
the national average salary growth currently sitting at just 0.3 per cent, many Kiwi will be feeling the pinch as wage increases trail behind the 3.1 per cent inflation rate.”
| Company | Role | Region | Applications started | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitre 10 Mega | Mitre 10 Mega | Full-time/part-time | Full-time/part-time | Canterbury | Canterbury | 632 | 632 |
| On Demand Logistics Ltd | On Demand Logistics Ltd | Pickers | Pickers | Auckland | Auckland | 577 | 577 |
| Kinetic Recruitment Ltd | Kinetic Recruitment Ltd | Pick/Packers | Pick/Packers | Auckland | Auckland | 560 | 560 |
| Bed Bath and Beyond | Bed Bath and Beyond | Christmas casual retail assistant | Christmas casual retail assistant | Auckland | Auckland | 556 | 556 |
| Mitre 10 Mega | Mitre 10 Mega | Manukau casual checkout operators | Manukau casual checkout operators | Auckland | Auckland | 550 | 550 |
| Region | Average pay | YoY change | QoQ change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Auckland | $76,179 | $76,179 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Bay of Plenty * | Bay of Plenty * | $72,808 | $72,808 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Canterbury | Canterbury | $71,417 | $71,417 | -0.9% | -0.9% | -1.5% | -1.5% |
| Gisborne * | Gisborne * | $76,593 | $76,593 | 3.6% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Hawke's Bay * | Hawke's Bay * | $73,044 | $73,044 | 1.8% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Manawatū / Whanganui * | Manawatū / Whanganui * | $71,507 | $71,507 | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Marlborough | Marlborough | $70,884 | $70,884 | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Nelson / Tasman | Nelson / Tasman | $71,248 | $71,248 | 4.2% | 4.2% | -0.7% | -0.7% |
| Northland | Northland | $73,229 | $73,229 | 2.3% | 2.3% | -0.8% | -0.8% |
| Otago | Otago | $73,261 | $73,261 | -0.2% | -0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Southland | Southland | $71,878 | $71,878 | -1.0% | -1.0% | -3.0% | -3.0% |
| Taranaki * | Taranaki * | $71,357 | $71,357 | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Waikato * | Waikato * | $74,073 | $74,073 | 0.9% | 0.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Wellington | Wellington | $75,168 | $75,168 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -1.1% | -1.1% |
| West Coast | West Coast | $72,258 | $72,258 | -3.7% | -3.7% | -4.5% | -4.5% |
* indicates record high
| Industry | Average pay | YoY change | QoQ change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting * | Accounting * | $93,618 | $93,618 | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Agriculture-fishing & forestry * | Agriculture-fishing & forestry * | $71,934 | $71,934 | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Architecture | Architecture | $73,793 | $73,793 | -20.3% | -20.3% | -5.3% | -5.3% |
| Automotive * | Automotive * | $78,761 | $78,761 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1.0 % | 1.0 % |
| Banking-finance & insurance | Banking-finance & insurance | $103,038 | $103,038 | 3.0% | 3.0% | -0.5% | -0.5% |
| Construction & roading | Construction & roading | $77,584 | $77,584 | -1.9% | -1.9% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Customer service * | Customer service * | $63,635 | $63,635 | 5.5% | 5.5% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Education | Education | $73,303 | $73,303 | -0.6% | -0.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Engineering | Engineering | $90,389 | $90,389 | -1.8% | -1.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Executive & general management | Executive & general management | $119,853 | $119,853 | 1.0% | 1.0% | 15.4% | 15.4% |
| Government & council | Government & council | $86,092 | $86,092 | -1.6% | -1.6% | -0.1% | -0.1% |
| Healthcare * | Healthcare * | $78,777 | $78,777 | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Hospitality & tourism | Hospitality & tourism | $63,242 | $63,242 | -1.5% | -1.5% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| HR & recruitment * | HR & recruitment * | $93,817 | $93,817 | 7.9% | 7.9% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| IT | IT | $119,479 | $119,479 | 3.2% | 3.2% | -6.0% | -6.0% |
| Legal | Legal | $92,348 | $92,348 | 3.8% | 3.8% | 8.9% | 8.9% |
| Manufacturing & operations | Manufacturing & operations | $65,117 | $65,117 | 0.4% | 0.4% | -2.7% | -2.7% |
| Marketing-media & communications | Marketing-media & communications | $86,715 | $86,715 | -1.2% | -1.2% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Office & administration * | Office & administration * | $67,216 | $67,216 | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Other | Other | $71,156 | $71,156 | 4.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Property * | Property * | $104,228 | $104,228 | 10.6% | 10.6% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Retail | Retail | $60,274 | $60,274 | 0.6% | 0.6% | -2.0% | -2.0% |
| Sales | Sales | $83,913 | $83,913 | -1.6% | -1.6% | -3.3% | -3.3% |
| Science & technology | Science & technology | $82,826 | $82,826 | 10.2% | 10.2% | 14.4% | 14.4% |
| Trades & services * | Trades & services * | $73,542 | $73,542 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Transport & logistics * | Transport & logistics * | $68,152 | $68,152 | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
* indicates record high
