18 Apr 2013

Job ads rise in March

3:05 pm on 18 April 2013

Newspaper and online job advertisements have risen, indicating the economic recovery may be filtering into the labour market.

ANZ Bank's monthly survey shows job advertisements rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in March, driven by an increase in internet listings which offset a fall in newspaper job ads. However the ANZ says the trend remains flat.

Newspaper job advertisements fell in all regions except Wellington, though it continues to lose market share, while online advertising rose in all three main centres.

The composite index, which gives more weighting to newspaper advertisements, fell 1.9% compared with a year ago.

ANZ economist Sharon Zollner says the series continues to suggest an unemployment rate hovering about the 7% mark.