Job ads down but busier months on the horizon
Advertised jobs are down 7.7% compared to June 2018. Kendra Banks, Managing Director, SEEK ANZ says June typically marks a quieter period as the financial year draws to a close. “As we know, June is the last month of the financial year and tends to be a quieter month for job ad volume,” Banks says. “We have seen a continued decline of job ad growth this month extending the trend of 2019.”
However, this could make way for greater activity when the new financial year enters full swing. “The first few months of a new financial year—with businesses setting new priorities and budgets being refreshed—normally form the busiest months for recruitment in the whole year,” Banks says. “It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next few months, where I believe we will get a clearer picture of the current employment market.”
Job ad volumes were down in all states and territories except the Australian Capital Territory, where there was a 5.3% rise compared to June 2018, and Tasmania, which saw a 0.9% rise.
Science and tech sector a standout for growth
Science & Technology led the way as the industry with the highest job ad growth rate—it saw a year-on-year rise of 19.2%. The greatest growth within the industry was for Quality Assurance & Control roles, up 70.6%, followed by Environmental, Earth & Geosciences roles, up 54.1%, and Food Technology & Safety with a 28.8% rise.
There was again growth in the Education & Training sector where job ads were up 14.5%, and the Healthcare & Medical industry, where job ads rose 9.6%, continuing trends seen across the first half of 2019.
The Farming, Animals and Conservation sector also made it into the top five for job ad growth with a 12.9% year-on-year increase, while the Insurance & Superannuation industry posted a 5.7% rise.
The Advertising, Arts & Media sector saw the greatest decline in job ad volumes, down 20.2% compared to 12 months ago, followed by Construction with a 19.3% decline. The Design & Architecture saw a 17.3% decline compared to June 2018.
Victoria on top for salary growth
The average advertised salary across Australia, $88,151, was up 2.7% compared to the same time last year. “The has been a slight fall in salary growth in the final quarter of FY19,” Banks says. “The peak came in April at 4.1% and 3.4% in May.”
Victoria led the way with a 3.2% increase in its average salary to $87,767, followed by New South Wales with a 3.0% rise to $90,162. All states and territories showed growth in salaries except for Tasmania—the state had been a strong performer so far this year but saw a 0.8% drop in its average advertised salary, $75,612, compared to June 2018.
There have been salary increases across most sectors including Banking & Financial Services with a 6.2% rise, and Advertising, Arts & Media, where the average was up 4.7% compared to 12 months ago.
The average salary in Retail & Consumer Products was up 4.6%, while Community Services & Development had a 4.5% rise and Sport & Recreation saw a 4.4% increase.
The Mining, Resources & Energy sector still holds the largest pay packet of the sectors, $124,408.
