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New jobs data: The roles with the highest demand

Author
Michael Sergel,
Publish Date
Wed, 1 Oct 2025, 5:00am
 (Photo / 123RF)
(Photo / 123RF)

New jobs data: The roles with the highest demand

Author
Michael Sergel,
Publish Date
Wed, 1 Oct 2025, 5:00am

One job stands out as in particularly high demand in the tough job market.

Latest Stats NZ data shows the number of filled jobs increased 0.2 in August, with increases across the primary, manufacturing and service sectors, and across Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury.

But total jobs are still down 0.7 percent on a year ago, with New Zealand losing more than 10,000 construction jobs, more than 5,000 professional service jobs and almost 5,000 healthcare and social assistance jobs during that period.

New data from employment platform Seek shows some jobs are still in high demand, with sales account managers being by far the most advertised role.

Sales business development managers, accountants, electricians, community support workers, nurses and administrative officers are also in high demand.

Retail sales assistants, chefs and retail store managers also feature in the top ten.

Seek Senior Economist Blair Chapman said there was a clear need for aged care and disability workers.

鈥淲ith an estimated 7.5% of Kiwis now over the age of 75, and around another 9% over the age of 65, support workers and nurses are likely to remain in-demand for some time as the demand for care from these older Kiwis grows.鈥

Chapman said another key factor was the resurgence in tourism, particularly the rise in Australian visitors in recent months.

鈥淭he growth in tourism is supporting demand for chefs and retail workers. Despite the overall weakness in the New Zealand economy, household consumption has continued to grow which is also supporting demand for chefs and retail workers.鈥

Seek recently reported a four percent annual rise in job ads -- the first year-on-year increase in almost three years.

However, applications per job have also reached a new record high, and advertised salaries have increased well below the rate of inflation over the past year.

ASB economists have noted that the recent rise in filled jobs in the Stats NZ figures reflects a downward revision of job figures from previous months.

鈥淭here is still significant spare capacity in the labour market, and it will take a concerted period of strong growth to push the unemployment rate down to the 4.0-4.5 percent goldilocks zone,鈥 they note.

Top 10 Most In-Demand Roles in New Zealand in 2025, based on job ad volume on Seek on 24 September 2025, and the number of job ads for each

  1. Sales Account Manager - 3,533
  2. Sales Business Development Manager - 2,568
  3. Accountant - 2,339
  4. Electrician - 2,153
  5. Community Services & Development Support Worker - 1,863
  6. Nurse - 1,854
  7. Administration Officer - 1,460
  8. Retail Sales Assistant - 1,285
  9. Chef - 1,157
  10. Retail Store Manager - 1,016

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