New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted filled-job count rose by 0.3 per cent in September, an increase of 7,227 roles from August. The total for all industries reached 2.36 million. The monthly rise was shared across the three broad industry groupings reported in the release.
Primary industries recorded a 0.4 per cent increase, goods-producing industries also rose 0.4 per cent, and service industries increased by 0.3 per cent. Services supplied the largest numerical part of the monthly gain, with 5,177 additional filled jobs. That pattern describes a change in the count between two months. It does not, on its own, establish why employers added roles or whether the pace will continue.
A monthly increase alongside an annual comparison
The release also gives an unadjusted, or actual, measure for September. It put the number of actual filled jobs at 2.35 million, up 22,791 from September last year. That is an annual rise of 1.0 per cent.
The two figures answer different questions. The seasonally adjusted measure compares September with August after allowing for regular patterns that can recur at similar times of year. The actual count compares the reported September total with the same month a year earlier. They should not be treated as competing estimates of the same month-to-month change.
For readers following the labour market, the distinction matters. A positive monthly movement does not say that every industry, region or group experienced the same change. Equally, an annual increase in the actual count does not show how employment moved in every intervening month. The figures provide a timely national snapshot rather than a forecast of future hiring.
Where the annual increases were recorded
On the year-on-year measure, public administration and safety had the largest industry increase, with 6,041 more filled jobs, or 3.7 per cent. Health care and social assistance followed with an increase of 5,942 jobs, equivalent to 2.1 per cent. Construction rose by 2,480 jobs and education and training by 2,386.
Those changes identify sectors with the largest reported numerical gains over the year. They do not show every change within those sectors, the number of vacancies available now, or the type of work undertaken in each role. A filled-job count is a measure of jobs recorded as filled, rather than a count of people looking for work or an assessment of job quality.
Regionally, Auckland recorded the largest annual increase, up 6,798 jobs or 0.9 per cent. Canterbury rose by 6,519 jobs, or 2.1 per cent, while Waikato was up 3,918 and Otago by 2,638. Bay of Plenty recorded an increase of 2,010 jobs. The regional results show that the national rise was not confined to one area, although they do not explain local differences in business activity or population.
Payroll data remain provisional
The September employment indicators use payroll information and are intended to offer an early view of changes in the labour market. Actual data in the series remain provisional for three months while further payday filing information is received. Later updates can therefore revise the initial picture.
The release also reported total gross earnings of NZ$16.1 billion for September on an accrual basis, up 3.4 per cent on a year earlier. Gross earnings are not the same as take-home pay: they are a total recorded before the many differences between individual workers’ hours, pay arrangements, tax and deductions are considered.
The latest figures point to a modest rise in the seasonally adjusted national job count and a larger actual count than a year earlier. Their value lies in showing the direction and scale of the reported changes, while the provisional status means the September totals should be read as an early statistical update rather than a final account of the labour market.
