Following a dip in January the jobs market gathered pace in February, with national job vacancies increasing 6.3 per cent compared to a fall of 6.0 per cent last month, according to the latest monthly data from IPA, one of Australia’s largest recruitment firms.
Rabieh Krayem, CEO of IPA, said despite the positive figures, CEOs are still cautious about hiring permanent staff due to a potential slowdown in activity as stimulus measures start to unwind.
“It’s a confusing market at the moment. There’s a disconnect between what the jobs data is telling me and confidence levels among CEOs. I’ve met with many industry leaders over the last few weeks and they’re very cautious about where demand will come from once the spending runs out. In fact, there’s still talk of the economy experiencing a wave of aftershocks.”
Krayem said there were pockets of permanent jobs growth in other sectors including utilities, banking and health, but managers are required to build strong cases to justify permanent new roles.
“Twelve months ago there was a freeze on all headcount. The current figures reflect an adjustment to this attitude, but companies are being very careful about their workforce planning requirements.
“Employers are looking at their recruitment needs very closely in terms of hiring the right people to do the right jobs. And they’re happy to wait until they find the right talent. A lot of companies who restructured during the downturn are looking for quality staff that can develop into the new structure and company culture,” Krayem said.
