Employment marketplace SEEK has recorded the most job listings on its website in its 25-year history for the third month in a row, while the Australian economy added over 20,000 new jobs in March.
As various Australian sectors continue to face massive labour shortages, job listings on SEEK grew 5 per cent in March 2022 and were double the number of listings from March 2019.
Unfortunately, while listings grew, candidate applications per listing continue to decline.
“This makes for an increasingly tight job market,” noted Kendra Banks, Managing Director, SEEK ANZ. “While interest among candidates remains consistent, as indicated by candidate visits to site staying strong, the low levels of applications per ad, which fell a further 4.5%, are not matching the persistent demand for talent.”
Job listings on SEEK rose in every Australian state and territory in March. They were highest in the Northern Territory (8.1 per cent) followed by Queensland (7.8 per cent). Western Australia recorded the lowest growth in job listings at 1.5 per cent.
“While the booming number of jobs on offer is good news for job seekers or those considering a new role or career change, it is not great news for businesses who are calling out for talent,” Ms Banks said. “We are seeing businesses adapting and reacting faster than ever before in a bid to identify, screen, and hire new talent, but demand is still greatly outstripping supply.”
All 28 industries listed on SEEK have seen a rise in job listings in the past month with only two exceptions: consulting & strategy and farming, animals, & conservation.
“Job ads are up in almost every industry compared to the previous month, the previous year and pre-pandemic times. The biggest mover in March was hospitality & tourism which increased 16.7 per cent and was the greatest growth industry in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria,” Ms Banks elaborated.
“Roles in trades & services continue to be the most prevalent on site, and have been for many months, proving that skilled tradies, particularly those in automotive trades, labourers, and electricians, remain in high demand.”
Earlier today, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) noted that the economy added more than 20,000 full-time and 3,000 part-time jobs in March even as numerous sectors report labour shortages.
Australia’s unemployment rate remains unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 4 per cent and the participation rate has stayed level at 66.4 per cent, despite expectations by banks and forecasters of a decrease from February numbers.
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