The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this morning released job vacancies data for the November quarter, which continued their downward trend:
- Total job vacancies in November 2012 were 169,900, a decrease of 2.2% from August 2012.
- The number of job vacancies in the private sector was 157,700 in November 2012, a decrease of 1.5% from August 2012.
- The number of job vacancies in the public sector was 12,200 in November 2012, a decrease of 10.7% from August 2012.
Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, this survey was suspended for 21 months over 2008-09, leaving a large gap in the data. Nevertheless, the data is now showing that the number of job vacancies are trending down after rising strongly between November 2009 and November 2010. In fact, the overall number of job vacancies were at a 30-month low in November 2012, according to the ABS.
Perhaps counter-intuitively, job vacancies fell in the mining states but rose in Victoria:
The overall decline in the ABS job vacancies series supports the more frequent ANZ job ads index, which fell for the eighth consecutive month in November to the lowest level since January 2010:
Hiring in WA Resources has been frozen or brought under the strictest controls. No surprise that vacancies have fallen, and substantially.
Except that according to the individual state graph, it shows that WA vacancies are increasing.
It is interesting to speculate why Vic, NSW and QLD (in time order) started to trend and continue to trend down. (No politics please, I beg you).
I know of 2 mining services Companies based in WA which have invested big in plant, equipment and staff since 2010. They are now running at less than 50% of forecasted 2012/13 sales revenue!
My seek emails for metal fab have fallen to 1 a week for about 6 positions from the peak of about daily and 30 posn’s and recent levels of 3 weekly and 15 posn’s and mostly all maintenance Perth metro.
Bit off topic, but does anyone else find it odd that a very important economic statistic such as job vacancies got cut for a brief period in time due to “budget cuts” – at a time when measuring it was most important – but also when the results would have been most negative?
First thing i noticed. That was back in the days when the spin king himself was running the show (by himself).
Boomer politicians reflecting the boomer ideology. Greed and selfishness with no consideration of a duty to the next generations. Sell the country for a dime if it makes them two.
Public sector austerity is the standout in this table. Public sector job adverts down over 29% YOY!
This is of course consistent with state and federal fiscal consolidation. From memory the fiscal consolidation at the federal level will be one of the largest ever in percentage of GDP terms.
Interestingly the first chart seems to run counter to the “burgeoning public sector meme”.
Odd that the total number of public sector job vacancies would be almost unchanged over the past 20yrs while the private sector vacancies have grown like Topsy
no. just that they consistently add jobs!
“AT the time of the 2011 census the Australian workforce was divided between those who worked for the private sector and those who worked for the public sector, meaning the federal, state or local governments.
At the broadest level, 1.572 million workers, or 16 per cent of the Australian workforce, worked for the public sector. This number was up 17 per cent on the 2006 figure, whereas private sector employment was up 9 per cent.”
does anybody have any previous census figures?
“AT the time of the 2011 census the Australian workforce was divided between those who worked for the private sector and those who worked for the public sector, meaning the federal, state or local governments.
At the broadest level, 1.572 million workers, or 16 per cent of the Australian workforce, worked for the public sector. This number was up 17 per cent on the 2006 figure, whereas private sector employment was up 9 per cent.”
does anybody have any previous census data?
Shiiiiiiiiiiit. Doesn’t seem like a good time to be a fresh university graduate
.
Looks like I need to get serious about filling out that Newstart allowance form.
I have friends who have recently graduated from Uni in the past 6 months and not one has found a graduate level job. Most are working as receptionists or in some kind of retail work.
Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap
.
“…or in some kind of retail work.”
mmmm…
…not for much longer
Do it and enjoy the summer if you can.
Or start your own business
Not a good time to change careers either.
Most jobs I’ve applied for recently say they have been swamped with applications and because I don’t actually have a lot of practical experience in my new chosen field, I’m losing out to more experienced people that have recently been laid off, etc.
Might need to wait until my degree is finished. Doesn’t hurt to keep applying though.
These are entry-level jobs I’m applying for as well.
Counterintuitive rise in Victoria indeed.
Federal fiscal consolidation has put some major Victorian public hospitals into financial “lock-down”.
ABS job vacancies fall to 30-month low
no need to be high – the unemployment rate is very low, and as far as the property market sentiment is concerned there has never been a better time to buy, right? /sarc