5 trends shaping work in 2025
As 2024 draws to a close, the Australian labour market is the most balanced it has been since pre-COVID. There is tightness in the market, but only just. We asked five SEEK experts what key trend they will be keeping an eye on in 2025 across all aspects of the jobs market, including people and culture, AI, technology and the wider labour market.
In summary, these are:
Hot demand in some pockets of the market
Better use of AI to help the job search
Reducing friction in the hiring process
Connection, culture and flexible work practices
What’s driving happiness at work?
Read on for more detail on the trends that are top of mind for 2025 from five of SEEK’s leading experts.
1. Hot demand in some pockets of the market
Senior Economist, Blair Chapman
“The healthcare and social assistance industry has been responsible for a large share of employment growth over the last decade, and this is likely to continue in 2025. The number of older Australians continues to grow, alongside an increasing awareness of mental health and behavioural conditions – driving an ongoing demand for care workers. This is unlikely to end anytime soon.
“As such, demand for registered nurses, aged and disabled carers and child carers all grew quickly in 2024 and remain in hot demand as we move toward 2025.
“Outside of the care sector, the following three areas should start to see growth from as early as 2025:
Information & Communication Technology
Transport & Logistics
Retail & Hospitality
“Employment for programmers and data scientists is likely to continue growing quickly as businesses look to keep up with the increasing use of AI by their employees, clients and competitors.
“The use of online delivery services will continue to drive demand for workers in the logistics sector, so it is likely that demand for truck drivers and warehouse staff like store persons and forklift drivers will remain elevated in 2025.
“With cost-of-living pressures expected to ease and the potential for interest rate cuts in 2025, the demand for retail and hospitality workers should pick-up in 2025 as households have a little more disposable income to spend.”
One thing to keep an eye on in 2025 according to Blair:
“A stabilisation of job ad volumes in 2025. As a leading indicator, ad volumes should stabilise ahead of the RBA's expected leveling off of the unemployment rate in mid to late 2025.
2. Better use of AI to help the job search
Grant Wright – Group Executive, Artificial Intelligence
“With the rise of Generative AI tools, candidates and hirers have been increasingly leveraging AI to assist with the employment process, including in the development of resumes, cover letters and to help write job ads.
“SEEK data shows that the number of AI-generated resumes submitted to the platform grew from 10% in July 2023 to 25% in June 2024, and around half of all resumes are expected to be created with the support of AI in the coming months. But if used responsibly, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“When used appropriately, AI can enhance resumes and job applications by refining ideas and helping candidates showcase their best selves. But it's important that job seekers maintain control over their content and ensure it remains true to who they are. Relying too heavily on AI risks losing personal touch, making it harder to stand out and challenging for employers to trust the authenticity of the information provided.
“At SEEK, we see an opportunity to help candidates and hirers better express themselves authentically, accurately and with trust. By combining unique individual input and style, with the capabilities of AI and unique SEEK insights about the market, we foresee a more efficient and effective frictionless employment market for both candidates and hirers.”
One thing to keep an eye on in 2025 according to Grant:
“AI’s ability to understand unstructured text, image, video and voice content will enable new interaction modes and experiences that help candidates and hirers better express what they are looking for.”
3. Reducing friction in the hiring process
Simon Lusted – Group Executive, Product
“Creating efficiency in the hiring process has always been a motivator for product innovation at SEEK, but in the current cost-conscious environment, with a relatively tight labour market and extremely high application volumes, the time and effort that goes into the recruitment process is an increasingly crucial problem to solve for most hirers.
“Our focus is on reducing friction, or hold ups, when hiring, and in surfacing good candidates in real time, reducing the lag between deciding to hire and making an offer.
“From writing the job ad, to salary benchmarking, shortlisting candidates and following up, our world-class technology, backed by insights from over 40m candidate relationships, is helping hirers find the right person, faster.
“For SEEK, removing friction looks like providing real time support for hirers at all stages of the process. This includes AI-assisted job ad writing, backed by SEEK’s unique candidate data; integrating certification verification, such as SEEK Pass, into the platform so that hirers can assess and shortlist based on minimum criteria immediately; or by providing access to recruitment experts, through the SEEK Recruiter Network, for small businesses.”
One thing to keep an eye on in 2025 according to Simon:
“AI supporting both sides of the hiring process, but importantly, increasingly improving the outcomes for both hirers and candidates – with better matches made faster.”
4. Connection, culture and flexible work practices
Kathleen McCudden – Group Executive, People & Culture
“Fostering connection among employees remains a challenge for many companies working with remote, hybrid and geographically di
sparate teams. Organisations have invested in technologies and initiatives that promote collaboration and engagement, to help employees feel part of a cohesive team despite physical distances. We’ve learnt that distributed teams can work effectively together, but it requires deliberate effort to build rapport and foster a sense of belonging amongst people.
“Conversations about flexible work practices often centre around the needs of an individual. However, for flexible work environments to be sustained and work for everyone, they must consider the needs of the individual, the team, and the business. At SEEK, we believe that getting the balance right across all three dimensions is critical, along with the ability for leaders and team members to have open, trusting, and thoughtful conversations.
“Progressive organisations are also focusing on culture, and its significant impact on employee satisfaction and retention. Connection between teams, as well as within teams, is valuable for both the business and for its people.
“Activities such as social committees, informal learning and ideation sessions, and joint projects that encourage cross-functional collaboration are just some examples of initiatives to help drive deeper connections across teams. Providing space for people to step out of their day-to-day roles and their teams to find connections organically is worthwhile investing in.
“Our role as employers is to cultivate a culture that supports our purpose and our business goals, which also resonates with our people’s values, their desire for work/life balance, and their career aspirations.”
One thing to keep an eye on in 2025 according to Kathleen:
“Balancing the needs of an individual, the team, and the organisation in fostering a sustainable and flexible work environment, which enables a strong connection amongst people.”
5. What’s driving happiness at work?
Aimee Hutton- Head of Customer Insights & Strategy
“The happiness of our workers may not seem as crucial a topic as it might have been two years ago, during the post-lockdown Great Job Boom, but a happy and engaged workforce is vital for an efficient and productive organisation. And, as the workforce shifts, with fewer of the older generation (Baby Boomers) and more Gen Z employees, understanding the drivers of happiness is increasingly important.
“SEEK’s Workplace Happiness Index assessed the sentiment of over 1,200 Australians and found that only 55% of us are happy at work. And while 61% of Baby Boomers classed themselves as happy at work, only 50% of Gen Z workers did so.
“Our research reveals that while salary and flexibility are top motivators for those looking for a new role, they aren’t necessarily what makes the happiest workers.
“Having a purpose at work is the top driver of workplace happiness. However, for younger workers who are starting out in their careers, the type of work, who they work with and where are the key factors contributing to their happiness.
"The factors that rank as most important to happiness at work for Gen Z are:
Day-to-day responsibilities
Senior leadership
Their team and colleagues
Work-life balance
Career progression opportunities
“While rising operating costs and reduced hiring budgets may continue to drive business decisions as we head into 2025, we also know that it is vital for businesses to understand and foster engagement among their employees for the betterment of both the business and their workers.”
One thing to keep an eye on in 2025 according to Aimee:
“The shifting composition of the workforce and the rising needs of Gen Z.”