More vacancies listed as businesses combat Covid
feedback I am getting from within the Bay is that our strength across the primary sector means that we may be cushioned compared with other regions.”
At the moment, Ryan and Alexander is recruiting for roles across a number of sectors including legal, accounting, compliance, sales and senior operational roles.
“So it is a real mix of positions and businesses, which is wonderful.”
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said professional services and construction were the main sectors driving the increase in job advertisements.
”Many companies we talk to are short on staff — we expect this to continue over the next year as conditions improve. The creation of these highervalue professional services jobs is a really good thing for the Western Bay economy as they help lift the overall prosperity of our community.”
Figures from Infometrics show professional services was the second biggest contributor to economic growth in the past 10 years in the Western Bay, adding 7.4 per cent of GDP or $676m last year.
Professional Services covers areas including scientific research, architecture, engineering, computer systems, design, law, accountancy, advertising, market research, management, consultancy, veterinary science and professional photography.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive
Matt Cowley said many businesses started projects or developed new services during the lockdown as demand for their core services stopped.
“But since lockdown, demand has picked back up. Now they need more staff to run both services. Businesses may have been running projects to modernise their operations, so they have taken on fixed-term works to deliver those projects.
“Temporary or casual workers are great for projects or extra help that’s needed for a limited period of time.”
Meanwhile, salary workers were great for permanent work and provided certainty for cash-flow forecasting, although there are expenseswhengoing through redundancy processes, including notice periods and leave entitlements.
“Businesses are mainly focused on securing the right people for the job. Unemployment is relatively low so it is slim pickings. Employers are getting creative at sharing staff with another supporting business to increase the talent pool. Employers are also recruiting some staff [on] fixedterm contracts as they are unsure about their sustainability in 12 months.”
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said big challenges were ahead for 2021 but the business community was resilient.
“On one hand, we still have the carryover from the money the Government for Covid when it was at its peak and that was a tremendous bolster for confidence. But then we have some businesses that have reached the end of the line and shut up shop.”
However, Heard said there was plenty of optimism despite the mountains that still needed to be climbed.
Rotorua Economic Development interim chief executive Andrew Wilson said local recruitment companies indicated they were very busy looking for people to fill office-based temp and contract roles.
“Accountants and IT workers, in particular, are in demand and it’s good to see strong job growth in those areas.
“Nationwide we know that there’s a shortage of seasonal staff, which is affecting hospitality and some tourism businesses in regions that usually rely on people with working holiday visas. In Rotorua, we’re hearing the shortage is mainly impacting hospitality and the more specialised tourism roles.”
Infometrics data from 2019 shows that tourism and hospitality, forestry and manufacturing are the biggest contributors to GDP in Rotorua, closely followed by healthcare.
Trade Me head of jobs Jeremy Wade said now was a good time to be a job hunter.
“We are seeing an abundance of roles listed across the vast majority of sectors.”