Job ads see slight increase in December
Job advertisements in Australia slightly went up 0.1% in December, according to the latest data from ANZ-Indeed.
The figure is a slight rebound following a -5.1% month-on-month recorded in November 2023.
It also follows the 8.9% drop between August and November, according to ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch.
"In original terms, there was a 10.0% m/m fall, reflecting the seasonal drop off in recruiting going into the holiday break," Birch said in a media release.
The findings from ANZ-Indeed comes as recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that job vacancies declined by around one per cent between the August and November period.
ANZ-Indeed said their recent data adds further proof that the country's labour market is easing, but there are no signs of sharp deterioration ahead.
Vacancies per unemployed individual hit a two-year low of 0.68, but still double than the pre-COVID level, according to the report.
Annual decline
Meanwhile, job ads declined by -14.9% in 2023, according to Indeed Senior Economist Callam Pickering.
"Around 80% of this decline was driven by New South Wales and Victoria, with both states experiencing a much larger decline in Job Ads than other states and territories," Pickering said in a statement.
According to the report, the annual decline was broad-based across organisations, with the biggest falls coming from:
- Food preparation and service
- Software development
- Personal care
"Nevertheless, job ads in 80% of occupational categories are still above pre-pandemic levels," the report said.
