Auckland — OPPO, the global smartphone maker with a local Auckland office, has been overwhelmed by interest in a single customer‑service vacancy — a sign of unusually fierce competition for jobs in New Zealand right now.
OPPO managing director Morgan Halim said the company normally considers 500 applications a large response; one recent ad for a central Auckland customer‑service role has attracted about 2,500 applicants and counting.
The role is an entry‑level customer‑service position based in the Auckland CBD. It asks for demonstrated customer‑service experience and notes that call‑centre experience is an advantage.
OPPO recently repatriated a call‑centre operation that had been based in Malaysia, and Halim said entry‑level roles consistently draw far more interest than specialist vacancies such as content‑creator positions. Halim said OPPO will use its human‑resources partner to screen the large applicant pool, with final shortlisting done by HR, the hiring manager and himself; location and commute are important considerations because the team works from the CBD. OPPO currently employs about 27 people in New Zealand.
What this reflects about the labour market
Labour‑market analysts say the surge in applications is not unique to OPPO. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen noted that applications per job ad have risen substantially compared with pre‑pandemic levels.
Data from job site Seek show a large increase in applicants per ad, and analysts point out that the number of job listings remains below pre‑pandemic levels, which intensifies competition for each vacancy. Olsen said the number of applications per filled job has stabilised recently — but at historically high levels.
Unemployment and regional differences
New Zealand’s labour‑market indicators show higher unemployment than a few years ago. Official statistics put the unemployment rate at around 5.3 percent in the September 2025 quarter, up from lower pre‑pandemic levels. That rise helps explain why some employers are seeing thousands of applicants for single roles.
