National job vacancies have fallen by 3.1 per cent during the month of June, as employers are waiting until after the federal election to recruit.
The recent domestic political turmoil, as well as uncertainty with regards to the direction of governmental policy have weighed deeply on the prospective employment market.
Of particular concern are policies on issues of skilled immigration intake as well as training of local workers, following an announcement from the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard regarding a change in approach to immigration.
Beyond this, rising interest rates domestically as well as global economic ambiguity are contributing to employer caution, which appears more widespread than the falling employment rate would indicate.
The figures for last month reflect that of May, which also saw a drop of nearly 3 per cent in employment vacancies.
According to statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the month of May experienced a fall of 4,700 jobs across both the public and private sectors.
Recruitment firm IPA released data revealing that since March employment availabilities have plummeted by an incredible 17.7 per cent.
However, the new financial year is expected to bring with it a wealth of new employment opportunities, as industries begin to properly recover from the wake of the GFC.
The construction industry, for example, is predicted to break free from the shackles of reliance upon stimulus-led government infrastructure projects, as there is an increased demand for work on residential and commercial property developments.
Darrell Hewton, General Manager of Sales and Marketing for IPA, believes that the trend towards lowering unemployment has made candidates more confident about job prospects.
“The balance of power is shifting back to candidates. They are facing less competition for roles than last year, and are tending to negotiate better terms and conditions.
“The days of candidate shortages, particularly in the skilled areas is something that all employers should be acutely aware may be wish us again before too long.”
