Statistics New Zealand : Jobs up in December, but annual growth slows

Accommodation and food services had the biggest fall in jobs from December last year - down 7,772 jobs, a 5.0 percent decrease. The fall was mostly due to a large decrease in accommodation jobs since last year.

'Accommodation providers have suffered from the reduction in the number of international tourists since the COVID-19 pandemic began,' Sue Chapman said.

Administration and support services jobs also fell by 5,340 (5.2 percent) from the end of last year.

In contrast, the healthcare and social assistance industry has risen by 8,816 jobs (3.7 percent).

Construction was the second-fastest growing industry, with 8,563 (4.9 percent) more filled jobs than last year. This increase coincides with a record level of new homes consented in the North Island in November 2020. Read more about building consent statistics here.

Public administration and safety had an increase of 7,630 jobs (5.5 percent) in the year ended December 2020.

'This increase corresponds with the government enacting COVID-19 response measures,' Ms Chapman said.

'The figures reflect the uneven effect of COVID-19 on employment. While some industries are struggling, others are less affected or even expanding to tackle the challenges of the pandemic.'