Latest SEEK data from February 2026 shows clear signs that New Zealand’s talent market is heating up again - and for employers in construction, energy, and building services, the trends are particularly worth watching. Salary growth is accelerating, job ads remain strong in the core technical sectors and regional competition is ramping up.

If you are planning projects, scaling teams, or trying to lock in high‑calibre technical talent, here is what you need to know.

Salary growth strengthens across key technical sectors

The latest SEEK Advertised Salary Index shows:

• 0.8% quarterly growth - the fastest rise since mid‑2024
• 2.5% annual growth, the first acceleration in over a year

Canterbury continues to lead the country with 3.2% annual salary growth, fuelled by infrastructure spend, rebuild work, and energy‑system upgrades.

For employers, this signals growing candidate confidence and a gradual tightening in compensation expectations, particularly for engineering, project delivery, health & safety, and building compliance roles.

Canterbury Leads the Country

Canterbury continues to outpace all regions, recording:

• 1.0% quarterly salary growth
• 3.2% annual growth

Major infrastructure activity, rebuild projects, and energy system upgrades have made Canterbury one of the most competitive engineering and construction labour markets in the country.

Regional Labour Market Snapshot

North Island (excluding major cities) leads the growth

• Taranaki: +3.0%
• Manawatu: +2.1%
• Gisborne: +2.1%

All three regions saw increased hiring activity in construction and infrastructure roles.

Auckland softens slightly

• -1.1% monthly job ad decline
• ‑0.7% annual decline

This was primarily driven by weaker demand in Retail, Consumer Services, ICT, and Hospitality. Essential technical sectors remain stable.

South Island powering ahead (annually)

• Tasman: +20.5%
• West Coast: +18.3%
• Otago: +18.2%

Canterbury also continues to climb (+15.8% y/y in job ads) on the back of strong construction and engineering requirements.

What this means for your hiring strategy in 2026

For employers across construction, energy, and building services, these market shifts provide clear signals for workforce planning.

Budget for Gradual Upward Salary Pressure:

While growth is steady rather than sharp, shortages in technical and compliance‑led roles continue to lift candidate expectations. Competitive offers will become increasingly important.

Prepare for Rising Competition in Canterbury:

With salary growth, job ad volume, and infrastructure spend all trending upward, Christchurch is becoming a hot spot for talent competition, particularly in engineering, project management and civil construction.

Candidate Confidence Is Rebounding:

Jobseekers are more open to opportunities as salary stability improves. Now is an ideal time to engage skilled professionals before demand surges later in 2026.

Technical Roles Remain Highly Resilient:

While some industries softened in December, core technical sectors (construction, engineering, trades, energy, and logistics) continue to show strong growth. The demand for hands‑on and project‑based talent is not likely to ease anytime soon.

The Bottom Line

New Zealand has entered 2026 with a labour market that is stabilising, slowly strengthening, and continuing to favour skilled technical professions.

If you are hiring in construction, engineering, energy or building services, now is the time to actively pipeline talent, move quickly on strong candidates, review salary bands and strengthen your workforce planning for upcoming projects

Stellar Recruitment continues to partner with organisations across New Zealand to secure high‑performing talent in an increasingly competitive environment. If you would like tailored insights for your region or support attracting talent for upcoming projects, get in touch with Lily Millett today.