Covid-19 lockdown saw TradeMe job listings drop by 50 per cent 'almost immediately', but opportunities remain

April 8, 2020
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TradeMe says it experienced a 50 per cent drop in new job listings “almost immediately” after the Covid-19 Level 4 lockdown announcement, but it’s not all bad news.

In its jobs data release for the first quarter of 2020, TradeMe has detailed the impact the virus has had on the job market in New Zealand.

Jeremy Wade, head of TradeMe jobs said listing volumes had remained relatively steady throughout the Covid-19 news, until the lockdown was announced.

“Almost immediately we saw a 50 per cent drop in new listings and the number of listings withdrawn jumped by 40 per cent,” said Mr Wade.

A decline in listings was seen across the board, but Mr Wade said some sectors came out worse than others.

Bars and restaurants will be closed for at least four weeks.

“As you’d expect, one of the hardest-hit sectors was hospitality and tourism.

“Following the lockdown announcement, the number of listings for chefs were down 42 per cent year-on-year and down 60 per cent when compared to January. Similarly, there were only half the number of wait staff job listings when compared to January.”

The trades & services sector also took a hit after the lockdown announcement.

“There was a steep drop in the number of hairdressing job listings following the lockdown announcement – with only a third of the amount we saw onsite in January, and 45 per cent less than the March last year.”

But there is some good news.

A number of industries managed to remain seemingly unscathed, and there is still an array of jobs for Kiwis to apply for in essential services.

“While the transport & logistics sector saw a 12 per cent drop in listings year-on-year as a whole, management, freight forwarders and couriers job listings were steady, as these are roles still needed during the lockdown,” said Mr Wade.

He said the healthcare sector also saw a spike in some categories, with other essential employers looking to bolster their teams throughout this lockdown.

“It’s certainly not all doom and gloom if you’re looking for a role now. We currently have one listing onsite from a security firm looking to fill 300 roles as soon as possible.

“There is also a peak in demand for supermarket workers, couriers and distribution and production workers.”

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