Australia records a slight drop in job ads monthly
Job ads for human resources and recruitment roles dropped in May as overall volumes of job openings took a slight dip during the month, according to a new report from SEEK.
Its latest Employment Report showed that HR and recruitment job ads went down by 4.1% in May, following a 5.1% increase in April.
Overall, job ads slightly declined by 0.3% in May, with the biggest declines recorded in the Engineering sector (-6.3%) and the Administration and Office Support (-5.5%).
Despite the slight dip, SEEK Senior Economist Blair Chapman said job ad volumes "remained relatively steady."
"While some consumer-facing industries like Hospitality & Tourism and Administration & Office Support softened in May, this was offset by growth in professional services sectors such as Consulting & Strategy and Design & Architecture which are among the few industries which have recorded growth over the past few months," Chapman said in a statement.
By location, Queensland recorded a 0.8% fall in job ads in May after a strong 7.6% increase a month ago, driving the national decline in job ad volumes.
"This marks a recalibration for the state after greater fluctuation in the past two months following Tropical Cyclone Alfred," the report read.
Only three states recorded job growth in May, including South Australia (0.5%), New South Wales (0.4%), and Victoria (0.4%).
Hiring sentiments among Australian employers have improved in the coming third quarter, according to the latest ManpowerGroup data. Employers in Tasmania, South Australia, and Queensland have recorded the strongest hiring intentions in the coming quarter.
Meanwhile, applications per job ad continued to rise in April, logging a 1.2% month-on-month increase.
The data, recorded with a one-month lag, shows growing candidate appetite for available roles amid declining ad volumes, according to the report.
By industry, applications per job ad went up 10% for Retail and Consumer Products jobs. Increases were also recorded in the Education & Training sector (5%) and the Trades and Services sector (3%).
The findings come as the latest Jobs and Skills Australia data revealed that filling vacancies have become "slightly easier" for employers in the first quarter of 2025 following an upward trend in vacancy fill rates in the country.
