Are better days ahead?
Barely a year after the pandemic caused economic downturn, Australia’s job market appears to be showing signs of bouncing back – albeit the rate of recovery differs by geography and industry. This rebound is evident in the “healthiest” job ads growth witnessed since the COVID-19 crisis began.
In February, the number of job postings increased 4.1% when compared with the previous month, suggesting businesses are getting ready to reinvest in talent. In addition to the monthly rise, the latest data also showed a 12.4% jump when figures are tracked year-on-year (February 2020). This is the fourth consecutive month of y/y job ads growth, according to employment marketplace SEEK, which compiled the data.
Read more: Will COVID-19 drastically impact recruitment plans?
The uptrend is seen throughout the country. “For the first time since before the pandemic, all states and territories saw year-on-year growth in job ads posted on seek.com.au,” said Kendra Banks, managing director of SEEK ANZ.
Source: SEEK
“New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory were the only two states, before last month, not to have returned to pre-COVID levels. In February, NSW saw an increase of 3.6% y/y, and ACT was 5.0% higher,” Banks said.
Read more: Recruitment challenges during COVID-19
Industries that buoyed 2021 growth figures included trades and services; hospitality and tourism; and health care and medical services. In these sectors, the following roles are reportedly the most in-demand:
Trades and services
- Automotive tradespeople
- Labourers
- Electricians
- Welders and boiler makers
- Technicians
- Carpenters and cabinet makers
- Hair and beauty specialists
Hospitality and tourism
- Chefs/cooks
- Waiting staff
- Bar and beverage staff
- Managers
- Guest services specialists
Health care and medical services
- Physiotherapists
- Occupational therapists
- Aged-care nurses
- Dental health professionals
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and social workers
- General and surgical nurses
“Professional services is the only sector to still be showing a y/y decline; however, 10.1% is the smallest gap we have seen and is being more than made up for by the other sectors,” Banks said.
