One particularly promising sign is that job ads nationally were up by 6.5% compared to the same time last year, which was before COVID began impacting our lives. They were also higher year-on-year in almost every state and territory, showing positive signs of recovery across the country.
Of course, the growth in job ads varies across industries and locations, with some roles in especially strong demand in parts of the country.
Select a state or territory from the drop-down menu below to find out which roles are growing the fastest in your location.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government & Defence | Assistant Director | 70% |
| 2 | Retail & Consumer Products | Store Manager | 29% |
| 3 | Real Estate & Property | Property Manager | 21% |
| 4 | Administration & Office Support | Administration Officer | 17% |
| 5 | Government & Defence | Director | 16% |
| 6 | Information & Communication Technology | Project Manager | 13% |
| 7 | Healthcare & Medical | Occupational Therapist | 10% |
| 8 | Engineering | Systems Engineer | 4% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
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| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chef de Partie | 178% |
| 2 | Sales | Sales Development Representative | 133% |
| 3 | Hospitality & Tourism | Sous Chef | 130% |
| 4 | Marketing & Communications | Marketing Role | 117% |
| 5 | Retail & Consumer Products | Sales Assistant | 111% |
| 6 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chef | 107% |
| 7 | Marketing & Communications | Product Manager | 103% |
| 8 | Hospitality & Tourism | Assistant Restaurant Manager | 100% |
| 9 | Community Services & Development | Support Coordinator | 93% |
| 10 | Banking & Financial Services | Risk Manager | 90% |
| 11 | Trades & Services | Spraypainter | 90% |
| 12 | Construction | Site Supervisor | 90% |
| 13 | Sales | Key Account Manager | 78% |
| 14 | Government & Defence | Director | 77% |
| 15 | Trades & Services | Electrician | 72% |
| 16 | Healthcare & Medical | Rehabilitation Counsellor | 71% |
| 17 | Government & Defence | Coordinator | 70% |
| 18 | Healthcare & Medical | Aged Care Manager | 68% |
| 19 | Information & Communication Technology | Technical Consultant | 66% |
| 20 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Delivery Driver | 66% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality & Tourism | Commis Chef | 156% |
| 2 | Legal | Conveyancing Paralegal | 128% |
| 3 | Trades & Services | Cabinet Maker | 100% |
| 4 | Construction | Site Supervisor | 91% |
| 5 | Legal | Legal Secretary | 90% |
| 6 | Information & Communication Technology | .Net Developer | 78% |
| 7 | Education & Training | Teacher | 78% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Frontend Developer | 68% |
| 9 | Sales | Sales Role | 66% |
| 10 | Education & Training | TAFE Teacher | 62% |
| 11 | Engineering | Structural Engineer | 60% |
| 12 | Trades & Services | Carpenter | 59% |
| 13 | Healthcare & Medical | Podiatrist | 58% |
| 14 | Hospitality & Tourism | Qualified Chef | 58% |
| 15 | Trades & Services | Electrician | 57% |
| 16 | Trades & Services | Plumber | 55% |
| 17 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chef | 55% |
| 18 | Administration & Office Support | Executive Assistant | 51% |
| 19 | Design & Architecture | Graphic Designer | 46% |
| 20 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Operations Manager | 43% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail & Consumer Products | Store Manager | 61% |
| 2 | Call Centre & Customer Service | Customer Service Representative | 57% |
| 3 | Administration & Office Support | Administration Role | 57% |
| 4 | Hospitality & Tourism | Sous Chef | 53% |
| 5 | Healthcare & Medical | Occupational Therapist | 48% |
| 6 | Trades & Services | Service Technician | 48% |
| 7 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chef | 40% |
| 8 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Recruitment Consultant | 38% |
| 9 | Community Services & Development | Employment Consultant | 35% |
| 10 | Construction | Estimator | 26% |
| 11 | Real Estate & Property | Property Manager | 26% |
| 12 | Engineering | Systems Engineer | 22% |
| 13 | Accounting | Accountant | 18% |
| 14 | Trades & Services | Electrician | 14% |
| 15 | Administration & Office Support | Administration Officer | 14% |
| 16 | Healthcare & Medical | Physiotherapist | 14% |
| 17 | Trades & Services | Hairdresser | 11% |
| 18 | Retail & Consumer Products | Assistant Store Manager | 10% |
| 19 | Construction | Project Manager | 10% |
| 20 | Sales | Sales Representative | 8% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
|
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality & Tourism | Sous Chef | 344% |
| 2 | Hospitality & Tourism | Restaurant Manager | 209% |
| 3 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chef | 170% |
| 4 | Trades & Services | Hairdresser | 164% |
| 5 | Retail & Consumer Products | Sales Assistant | 142% |
| 6 | Sales | Sales Role | 126% |
| 7 | Trades & Services | Motor Mechanic | 114% |
| 8 | Engineering | Structural Engineer | 107% |
| 9 | Trades & Services | A Grade Electrician | 103% |
| 10 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Human Resources Business Partner | 95% |
| 11 | Trades & Services | Mechanic | 90% |
| 12 | Administration & Office Support | Customer Service Role | 86% |
| 13 | Education & Training | Early Childhood Educator | 83% |
| 14 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Warehouse Storeperson | 82% |
| 15 | Trades & Services | Carpenter | 80% |
| 16 | Legal | Senior Associate | 79% |
| 17 | Administration & Office Support | Customer Service Representative | 78% |
| 18 | Marketing & Communications | Digital Marketing Specialist | 76% |
| 19 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Delivery Driver | 75% |
| 20 | Government & Defence | Project Officer | 72% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD GROWTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trades & Services | Electrician | 100% |
| 2 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Mine Geologist | 83% |
| 3 | Call Centre & Customer Service | Customer Service Representative | 72% |
| 4 | Administration & Office Support | Receptionist | 67% |
| 5 | Trades & Services | Cabinet Maker | 66% |
| 6 | Accounting | Management Accountant | 64% |
| 7 | Engineering | Project Manager | 64% |
| 8 | Community Services & Development | Employment Consultant | 60% |
| 9 | Education & Training | Early Childhood Educator | 56% |
| 10 | Retail & Consumer Products | Assistant Store Manager | 48% |
| 11 | Sales | Sales Consultant | 45% |
| 12 | Administration & Office Support | Office Administrator | 43% |
| 13 | Mining, Resources & Energy | Supervisor | 41% |
| 14 | Accounting | Assistant Accountant | 40% |
| 15 | Administration & Office Support | Administration Role | 39% |
| 16 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Recruitment Consultant | 39% |
| 17 | Healthcare & Medical | Registered Nurse | 38% |
| 18 | Healthcare & Medical | Speech Pathologist | 37% |
| 19 | Sales | Sales Representative | 36% |
| 20 | Hospitality & Tourism | Chef | 35% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
Trends across the country
After enduring a protracted lockdown last year, the good news for Victoria is that job ad volumes rebounded in January to be higher (1.8%) than the same time last year.
Queensland (16.3%), Western Australia (26.5%), South Australia (24.8%) and Northern Territory (27.8%) are also seeing higher levels of job ads year-on-year. Meanwhile, NSW and ACT have almost closed the gap – job ads were down 4.8% and 1.4% respectively, but both are at the highest point since the pandemic started.
Kelly Van Nelson, Managing Director of Adecco Australia, says a state’s rebound depends on the level of exposure to the crisis last year.
“Given the secondary shutdown in Victoria, the state’s job market was more impacted than any other,” she says. “However, the market has bounced significantly since reopening and, from what we’re seeing, Victoria is now just as healthy as other states.
“We are seeing business investment along the eastern seaboard to grow headcounts now that COVID is more under control and remote working conditions are fully embedded into our working lives.”
Tradie roles on the rise
Job ads for Trades & Services roles recorded strong growth across most states in January, compared to their low point last year.
Job ads for Electricians, for instance, grew rapidly in Queensland (59%) and South Australia (14%) and Western Australia (100%), while Victoria recorded a lift for Carpenters (80%).
Van Nelson says opportunities are looking up for talented tradespeople and that government investment in infrastructure is driving much of the demand.
“The demand for trades has been high for some time and it continues to be one of the top five sectors of growth that we are seeing,” she says.
To attract the best Trades & Services candidates in a skills-short market, Van Nelson suggests highlighting career development opportunities and other benefits.
"Offering upskilling and flexibility, along with a competitive salary, will help you capture talent in this market.”
Marketing bounces back
As the economy continues to recover from the impact of COVID-19, marketing activity is also picking up. This is translating to growth in Marketing job ads in the country’s biggest employment markets.
Compared to the low point last year, NSW recorded rapid growth for general Marketing roles (117%) and Product Managers (103%) while Victoria saw an increase for Digital Marketing Specialists (76%).
“We are certainly seeing an increase in roles across Marketing, which can be attributed to the economy bouncing back and businesses becoming more resilient in the face of a pandemic,” Van Nelson says.
With job ads rising year on year across most states and territories in January, some industries are standing out with strong demand for roles. If your focus is on hiring now, revisiting your Employee Value Proposition – and considering attractors such as flexibility and upskilling – could help you compete for talent.
