Job Openings Experience Continuous Decline Throughout Australia
Job vacancies have declined once again, but experts in statistics indicate that total vacancies are still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Australian job seekers are facing continued pressure, with job vacancies dropping by 2.7 percent from February to May, totaling 352,600 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Vacancies have decreased across most industries, and Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at ABS, noted consecutive drops in the employment rate nationwide. He mentioned that job numbers were more abundant in 2022 but have significantly decreased since then. Despite this decline, the total number of vacancies remains well above the pre-COVID-19 levels. Mr. Jarvis emphasized the importance of considering the historical context of the data, noting that there are still approximately 125,000 more vacancies than in February 2020, with the Australian population growing by over a million people from 2020 to 2024. Economics professor Gigi Foster criticized the government for inadequate economic management, especially during and after COVID, suggesting necessary changes to address rising unemployment and economic stress. ABS data shows the strongest quarterly percentage declines in job vacancies were in the wholesale trade and manufacturing sectors, while only four industries experienced growth in vacancies. The professional, scientific, and technical services industry saw notable growth, along with public administration and safety. Job vacancies in 15 out of 18 industries remained higher than pre-pandemic levels, with certain sectors, like healthcare and social assistance, education and training, and public administration and safety, showing significant increases in filled jobs and share of total vacancies compared to pre-pandemic levels. Healthcare now has the largest number of total vacancies, accounting for one in five job listings. Job vacancies decreased in both private and public sectors over the three months to May, with most states and territories experiencing declines, the greatest being in South Australia and Western Australia. The Northern Territory was the only region to see an increase in job vacancies during the same period.
