New Zealand tourism industry looking for more skilled workers

New Zealand businesses were looking for more skilled workers in February, with hospitality and tourism workers especially in demand.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment figures for February showed online vacancies for skilled jobs were up 0.4 percent in the month, while all vacancies were flat.

Hospitality and tourism industry vacancies were up 1.8 percent, as latest figures showed a boom in tourist spending in New Zealand late last year.

Skilled job vacancies rose in eight out of 10 regions, with the biggest lift in Nelson/ Marlborough through to the West Coast up 1.8 percent.

Gisborne/Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty were both up 1.3 percent in the month.

But skilled vacancies fell in Wellington, down 0.6 percent.

Over the year, the Bay of Plenty had by far the largest increase, up 28 percent, followed by Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough/West Coast, up 10.4 percent, MBIE said.