Worker shortage worsens as job vacancies spike, ABS data reveals
The number of job vacancies has increased by 4.2 per cent, the first rise since May 2022, according to the ABS.
Data on the number of job vacancies in November from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates 344,000 job vacancies in November 2024, up by 14,000 from August.
ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said the number of job vacancies in November 2024 was up by 4.2 per cent.
"This was the first rise since May 2022, when job vacancies reached their historical peak," Jarvis said.
“The number of job vacancies in November was still 39,000, or 10.3 per cent, lower than November 2023, and 130,000, or 27.4 per cent, lower than the peak in May 2022."
However, Jarvis said while there has been a downward trend in job vacancies over the past two and a half years, the number of vacancies is still 51.3 per cent higher, or around 117,000 more than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As the most recent Labour Account data shows, job vacancies still make up around 2.1 per cent of jobs in Australia, compared with 1.6 per cent just before the pandemic."
The number of vacancies grew across most industry sectors in November, with vacancies increasing in 14 out of 18 industries.
The biggest rises were in customer-facing industries including arts and recreation services which saw a 28.5 per cent rise and accommodation and food services which a 20.1 per cent increase.
Construction and education and training on the other hand saw a drop in vacancies, with the number of vacancies falling 11.5 per cent and 9.5 per cent respectively.
Annually, job vacancies fell in most industries, with the largest drop in manufacturing with a 36.9 per cent decrease. The strongest percentage growth in job vacancies over the year was in rental, hiring and real estate services.
“Job vacancies in most industries remained higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jarvis said.
“Four industries were still seeing more than double their pre-pandemic levels of job vacancies – Arts and recreation services, Accommodation and food services, Electricity, gas, water and waste services, and Health care and social assistance."
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