By CATHERINE HARRIS
If you are a car salesman, real estate agent or investment banker, the new year is looking increasingly risky for you.
A report by research firm IBISWorld Australia has drawn up a list of Australia's 10 most vulnerable industries for 2009, and New Zealanders in some of those industries agree there are parallels here.
Topping the list were tyre manufacturing, car retailing, international airlines and real estate. Investment banking and brokerage jobs came seventh.
There is no New Zealand version of the report, but car industry veterans say redundancies are certainly rising among sales people, panel beaters and associated workers, as dealerships consolidate or cut back.
The Motor Trade Association is advising employers to try to keep staff on their books by reducing work hours and encouraging annual leave.
"Because when things do turn around, one of the big problems is going to be a shortage of skilled staff, so we're going to get another problem at the other end of it all, with not having qualified people," spokesman Steve Downes said.
Likewise, investment banking has seen large numbers of people losing their jobs.
Neil Paviour-Smith, managing director of brokerage Forsyth Barr, estimates 40 to 50 local investment bankers, analysts and office staff were retrenched last year as overseas-owned firms cut back.
He has also seen a "huge increase" in the number of returning Kiwis from London and New York trying to find finance sector work back home.
"You're going to see unemployment affected by the return-home factor from people in those areas," he said.
In real estate, one industry blogger estimated last March that up to 3000 of the country's 19,000 estate agents would have left the sector by the end of the year.
The managing director of Auckland's Barfoot and Thompson, Peter Thompson, said that while he could not confirm the national picture, a loss of between 3000 and 5000 agents "would not be out of the question" if the soft market continued.
"Certainly a lot of incomes have come back quite considerably and some of the very experienced people have earned minimal income this year but are just holding and hoping the market will change," Mr Thompson said.
He said 30 to 40 offices closed last year and more closures were expected.
Other industries looking precarious in the Australian report were mining (sixth) and bricklaying (eighth). Jobs linked to luxury or discretionary spending boat building (fifth) and catering (ninth) were also listed.
The most secure industries in the report were related to aged or health care, including veterinary services, childcare and nursing homes.
Certainly the health system here is still desperate for workers.
Kate Jackson, a director of nursing recruitment firm Tonix NZ, said demand was as strong as ever for candidates.
"If we had 100 nurses jumping off the plane tomorrow, we'd find jobs for them throughout New Zealand."
Her firm recruits mostly English nurses and Ms Jackson said interest had been largely static since house prices crashed in Britain, making it difficult for candidates to sell up and move to New Zealand.
"Often their partners are blue-collar workers and they can't get jobs," she said.
"Whereas 12 months ago we could say to partners of nurses who were like bricklayers or builders, carpenters, that the jobs would be there for them over here, and they're not."
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4813119a13.html
If you are a car salesman, real estate agent or investment banker, the new year is looking increasingly risky for you.
A report by research firm IBISWorld Australia has drawn up a list of Australia's 10 most vulnerable industries for 2009, and New Zealanders in some of those industries agree there are parallels here.
Topping the list were tyre manufacturing, car retailing, international airlines and real estate. Investment banking and brokerage jobs came seventh.
There is no New Zealand version of the report, but car industry veterans say redundancies are certainly rising among sales people, panel beaters and associated workers, as dealerships consolidate or cut back.
The Motor Trade Association is advising employers to try to keep staff on their books by reducing work hours and encouraging annual leave.
"Because when things do turn around, one of the big problems is going to be a shortage of skilled staff, so we're going to get another problem at the other end of it all, with not having qualified people," spokesman Steve Downes said.
Likewise, investment banking has seen large numbers of people losing their jobs.
Neil Paviour-Smith, managing director of brokerage Forsyth Barr, estimates 40 to 50 local investment bankers, analysts and office staff were retrenched last year as overseas-owned firms cut back.
He has also seen a "huge increase" in the number of returning Kiwis from London and New York trying to find finance sector work back home.
"You're going to see unemployment affected by the return-home factor from people in those areas," he said.
In real estate, one industry blogger estimated last March that up to 3000 of the country's 19,000 estate agents would have left the sector by the end of the year.
The managing director of Auckland's Barfoot and Thompson, Peter Thompson, said that while he could not confirm the national picture, a loss of between 3000 and 5000 agents "would not be out of the question" if the soft market continued.
"Certainly a lot of incomes have come back quite considerably and some of the very experienced people have earned minimal income this year but are just holding and hoping the market will change," Mr Thompson said.
He said 30 to 40 offices closed last year and more closures were expected.
Other industries looking precarious in the Australian report were mining (sixth) and bricklaying (eighth). Jobs linked to luxury or discretionary spending boat building (fifth) and catering (ninth) were also listed.
The most secure industries in the report were related to aged or health care, including veterinary services, childcare and nursing homes.
Certainly the health system here is still desperate for workers.
Kate Jackson, a director of nursing recruitment firm Tonix NZ, said demand was as strong as ever for candidates.
"If we had 100 nurses jumping off the plane tomorrow, we'd find jobs for them throughout New Zealand."
Her firm recruits mostly English nurses and Ms Jackson said interest had been largely static since house prices crashed in Britain, making it difficult for candidates to sell up and move to New Zealand.
"Often their partners are blue-collar workers and they can't get jobs," she said.
"Whereas 12 months ago we could say to partners of nurses who were like bricklayers or builders, carpenters, that the jobs would be there for them over here, and they're not."
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4813119a13.html
Tag :
Risky jobs in 2009
