Job vacancy statistics can be used to assess changes in the demand for labour. The ABS conducts a quarterly Job Vacancies Survey. In this survey, a job vacancy is defined as a job available for immediate filling on the survey reference date and for which recruitment action has been taken by the employer.
Graph 6.65 presents trend estimates of job vacancies for the period May 1983 to May 2003. It shows that the number of job vacancies rose from a low of 30,300 in August 1991, reflecting the labour market downturn in the early-1990s, to a peak of 115,000 in May 2000. Job vacancies then fell until November 2001, before rising to 109,400 in May 2003.
6.65 JOB VACANCIES: Trend estimates
Table 6.66 shows that the number of job vacancies (original estimates) in May 2003 was highest in the Property and business services industry (18,800) followed by Retail trade (18,100) and Health and community services (12,000).
6.66 JOB VACANCIES, By industry(a) - May
|
 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| '000 | '000 | '000 | '000 | '000 | '000 |
|
| Mining | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Manufacturing | 9.3 | 13.7 | *14.0 | 9.6 | 11.6 | 10.9 |
| Electricity, gas and water supply | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Construction | **8.9 | **5.3 | *5.2 | *4.0 | *9.2 | *5.5 |
| Wholesale trade | *8.7 | *7.6 | 6.1 | *6.9 | 4.4 | *4.1 |
| Retail trade | *14.9 | *8.7 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 10.9 | 18.1 |
Accommodation, cafes
and restaurants | *4.4 | *8.6 | *8.2 | *5.9 | *6.3 | 5.0 |
| Transport and storage | **1.6 | **2.6 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 2.4 | *1.6 |
| Communication services | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Finance and insurance | 3.2 | 3.2 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Property and business services | *24.1 | *18.5 | 21.8 | 16.5 | 14.2 | *18.8 |
| Government administration and defence | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 4.9 |
| Education | 4.0 | 3.3 | 7.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 5.0 |
| Health and community services | 7.8 | 7.8 | 9.9 | 11.2 | 11.1 | 12.0 |
| Cultural and recreational services | 1.3 | *3.4 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 3.6 |
| Personal and other services | **3.0 | **3.0 | *7.2 | *3.8 | *3.5 | *3.1 |
| All industries | 96.8 | 93.5 | 107.6 | 87.4 | 90.3 | 99.5 |
|
| (a) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification. |
|
| Source: Job Vacancies, Australia (6354.0). |
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