4 May 2017

Job ads at five-month high

12:49 pm on 4 May 2017

The number of job advertisements has picked up to the highest level in five months, reflecting a strong labour market.

ANZ Bank's job ads index rose a seasonally-adjusted 2.8 percent in April when compared with the month before.

This comes as some employers are considering offering perks as the labour market tightens.

Numbers out yesterday showed that unemployment had fallen to 4.9 percent in the March quarter, after a more than the expected number of people entered the workforce.

Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury job ads have picked up pace, while the regions were also strong.

There was solid demand for workers in the construction industry, along with the services, retail and tourism.

A senior economist at ANZ Bank, Sharon Zollner, said the labour market had momentum.

"The fact that the real economy seems to be going pretty well suggests that employment growth will continue as well," she said.

Ms Zollner said wage inflation should pick up in the coming months.

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