- Market trends
- Industry trends
- Trends across the country
- Salary trends
- Industry Spotlight: Healthcare & Medical
Market trends
New job advertisements increased nationally by 5.4% in August compared to this time last year. This figure is the lowest year-on-year growth in national SEEK job ads since March 2017.
Kendra Banks, Managing Director of SEEK, ANZ says, “Although it is the weakest growth we’ve seen since March last year, it is indicative of a solid overall demand for labour. We are still seeing jobs growth well above the national average in some of our biggest employing sectors, pointing to a healthy and stable job market for Australia’s crucial industries.”
Industry trends
For the 13th consecutive month, the Mining, Resources & Energy sector saw the greatest job ad growth across Australia growing 29% in August 2018 compared to August 2017.
Australia’s largest employing industries across the country demonstrated double digit growth in job ads for the year to August, including Healthcare & Medical (12%), Hospitality & Tourism (12%), Trades & Services (10%) and Community Services & Development (10%).
Nine industries experienced a year-on-year decline in job ads in August, with Advertising, Arts & Media experiencing the greatest decline of -12%.
Trends across the country
All regions except the Northern Territory saw an increase in job ads in August, led by another strong month for Tasmania, with an increase of 16.7% since compared to the same time last year.
Western Australia was not far behind with an increase of 14.1% year-on-year, followed by the ACT (up 7.4%) and Victoria (up 6.9%). The Northern Territory saw a fairly large decline in job ads of 7.1% since August last year.
Interestingly, the ACT was placed well ahead of the rest of the nation’s rate of candidate applications per ad since last year with a 10.3% increase, followed by South Australia (up 3.1%) and New South Wales (up 2.1%).
The following map outlines the job ad growth experienced across every region compared to 12 months ago:
Salary trends
Advertised salaries grew nationally by 4% with the two territories recording the highest growth (ACT up 7.6% and the Northern Territory up 6%). This month the ACT also recorded the highest average annual salary of $90,079.
Only two industries – Insurance & Superannuation, and Farming, Animals & Conservation – saw a decline in average salary equally of 2%, while CEO & General Management, Consulting & Strategy, Self Employment and Sport & Recreation all remained stable with no growth or decline in average salaries since last year.
The majority of industries however are increasing in average advertised salaries, with the strongest year-on-year growth being recorded yet again in Mining, Resources & Energy (up 10%), followed by Science & Technology and Trades & Services which both recorded average salary growth of 7%.
Industry Spotlight: Healthcare & Medical
As reported by the ABS, the Healthcare & Medical and Social Assistance sector is Australia's largest employer, currently accounting for 13% of the total Australian workforce. The sector reached this milestone in 2010 when it surpassed the Retail sector and has continued to expand steadily ever since.
SEEK data reflects this growth with Healthcare & Medical job ads recording 12% year-on-year growth in August 2018 compared to 2017. The top performing states for job ad growth in the sector this month were Tasmania (30%), South Australia (24%) and New South Wales, the sectors biggest employer (21%).
Nursing roles, which comprise 22% of the Healthcare & Medical labour market, have been the biggest contributor to this sector’s growth in recent months.
Learn more: Nursing roles in good health
