After a strong start to 2025, New Zealand’s job market steadied in February, according to SEEK’s latest Employment Report.

Coasties looking for work may have noticed fewer new job ads posted last month, with listings down 2% nationwide compared to January.

This follows a 4% lift in January and marks the most stable quarter in some time—job ads are unchanged on a quarterly basis.

For locals, the job market on the Hibiscus Coast tends to mirror Auckland trends.

SEEK reports a 2% drop in Auckland job ads last month, contributing to the national decline.

Otago was also down 7%.

However, four regions bucked the trend, including Bay of Plenty (up 1%) and Canterbury (up 3%).

In terms of industries, larger employers held back.

All the big hiring sectors either declined or showed no change in February.

The biggest drop was in Call Centre and Customer Service roles, where job ads fell 15% month-on-month.

Trades & Services and Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics also slowed, both down 4%.

But there’s good news for job seekers.

Applications per job ad have jumped.

In January, applications rose 5% nationally—the highest level seen in recent times.

Workers are clearly getting proactive at the start of the year.

Rob Clark, SEEK NZ’s Country Manager, says this slight decline after January’s jump was expected.

“After two years of steady and significant decline in job ad volumes, the past eight months have been broadly flat,” he explains.

“While we may not be out of the woods yet, the days of significant, broad-based drops in worker demand should be behind us.”

For Coasties thinking about a job move, this means more competition for available roles, but also a more stable market to navigate.

Hospitality & Tourism, Engineering, and Accounting roles are seeing the biggest increases in applications per job ad, so it’s a great time to polish up the CV.

If you’re job hunting on the Coast, expect fewer new listings than in January—but more competition for the ones available.

Staying proactive is key.

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