The Bay of Plenty is experiencing a significant increase in job applications from Auckland thanks to the extreme prices affecting the city's property market.

Head of Trade Me Jobs Peter Osborne says the Bay of Plenty has been New Zealand's star performer in 2015, with at least 20 per cent growth in job listings in each quarter this year.

Trade Me Jobs says the number of Aucklanders applying for jobs in the Bay of Plenty has increased significantly due to the extreme prices of Auckland's property market. Photo: File.

'No other New Zealand region has come close to matching that growth over the past 12 months,” explains Peter, 'and we think Aucklanders escaping the property boom in the City of Sails are helping to spur it.

Last month Trade Me Property statistics revealed the Bay of Plenty was New Zealand's second-most expensive area to purchase a house as part of the ‘Auckland effect'.

The ‘Auckland effect' has been coined to describe the rising demand for housing in areas surrounding Auckland due to extreme house prices in the city.

'Auckland's soaring cost of living has created property exiles and that in turn creates job exiles too,” adds Peter.

'To buy an affordable house these people need to look elsewhere and, of course, they need a job in their new hometown and that is where regions around the country have been the winners.”

Over the last three months, 13 per cent of applications for Bay of Plenty jobs have been completed by Aucklanders – a figure up 37 per cent on last year.

'Our research has indicated that work/life balance is the most important factor for New Zealand job hunters,” says Peter.

'Smaller cities with a plethora of outdoor activities and short commutes, like Tauranga, Rotorua or Hamilton, offer that balance.”

Peter says Aucklanders looking to move elsewhere needed to go in with clear and realistic expectations about salaries outside of the major cities.

The average salary in Auckland hovers around $64,000, compared to $53-55,000 in the Bay of Plenty.

The upshot of that is if you're looking to make a move outside of Auckland, make sure you know your worth and remain realistic.

'But you're unlikely to command the same salary,” he says.

'On the flipside, if your house is more affordable and your commute is shorter, it's likely that you'll be better off despite taking a salary cut.”

Other regions experiencing significant increases in job applications from Aucklanders compared to last year includes Northland (36 per cent) and Waikato (26 per cent).