Australia’s employment landscape is showing concerning signs of contraction as newly released government data reveals a persistent decline in job vacancies. According to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), available positions decreased by 0.2% during the three-month period ending in November, marking the sixth consecutive month of deterioration in employment opportunities.
The current national vacancy count stands at approximately 326,700 unfilled positions, effectively returning to levels observed at the beginning of the previous year. This sustained downturn follows a more substantial 2.7% reduction recorded in the quarter ending August 2023. Annually, the market has witnessed a significant contraction of 5.2%, representing 17,800 fewer available roles compared to November 2022.
ABS Head of Labour Statistics Robert Long provided sector-specific analysis, noting that “private sector job vacancies primarily drove the annual decrease, falling by 6.8% in the year to November. Conversely, public sector vacancies experienced an 8.9% increase during the same period.”
Industry performance varied considerably across sectors. The education and training industry suffered the most severe decline at 15.5%, followed closely by rental, hiring and real estate services which dropped 12.8%. Transport and construction roles also demonstrated notable reductions. These losses were partially offset by gains in wholesale trade, public administration and safety, mining, and healthcare and social assistance.
The tightening job market presents challenges for Australia’s 665,800 unemployed citizens, creating increasingly competitive conditions for job seekers across multiple industries.