11 September 2008

NZ salaries continually on the rise

According to Trade Me Jobs, a New Zealand website that facilitates job searching nationwide, the average salary for New Zealand earners has increased substantially. Employers are also finding it easier to attract workers, reports Voxy.co.nz.

"Since the last quarter of 2007, we have seen the average salary increase 3.7 per cent from $55,583 to $57,664," Trade Me Jobs CEO Jimmy McGee told reporters.

He also said that despite a slowing down of the labour market, wage inflation is remaining strong, with IT professionals raking in the best salaries.  IT architects, project managers and functional consultants are all receiving, on average, over $100,000 per annum. 

IT professionals, doctors, construction project managers, engineering managers, in-house legal counsel and financial controllers made the top-paid occupations in New Zealand.

Wellington won the top-city for highest paid earners on average, while the Southland region came first for being the best paid region in New Zealand.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the Southland region is desperate for skilled workers to support the booming dairy industry. 

"We're desperate. We have a booming dairy industry with 100 farms waiting for conversion, we've got dairy factories opening in Invercargill and Gore, and the Fonterra factory is being doubled in size," said the Mayor of Invercargill Tim Shadbolt. 

Recent figures show that Southland has the nation’s fastest growing economy, with 3.4 per cent annual growth in the year to March.  It was also the only region in which the number of car registrations increased, and has the second-highest retail spending in the country.

"If Southland was a country it would be near the top of the OECD for economic growth," Shadbolt said. "Why wouldn't you want to live here?"

"While every other region in New Zealand is suffering from a decrease in housing values, ours went up 8 per cent over the past year, which has helped stabilise our economy," he added.

The Government is campaigning world-wide for international students and skilled workers to move to New Zealand so that shortages in the skilled workforce can be filled.  This month, Government officials are running an information seminar in India to entice more foreign students to apply for New Zealand Student visas.

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The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people emigrate to New Zealand.

Article by Jessica Bird, New Zealand Visa Bureau.