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Job Vacancies, Australia

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Results of the quarterly Job Vacancies Survey containing estimates of job vacancies classified by industry, sector and state/territory.

Reference period
August 2021
Released
30/09/2021

Key statistics

The seasonally adjusted estimates for the August 2021 quarter are as follows:

  • Total job vacancies were 333,700, a decrease of 9.8% from May 2021.
  • Private sector vacancies were 302,400, a decrease of 10.9% from May 2021.
  • Public sector vacancies were 31,300, an increase of 2.3% from May 2021.
 
 Aug-21Quarterly changeAnnual change
 '000%%
Private sector302.4-10.964.3
Public sector31.32.341.1
Private and public sectors333.7-9.861.8

Survey impacts

Continuing the use of forward factors for seasonal adjustment

Suspension of trend estimates

Survey responses remain high in August

Other measures of labour demand

Job vacancies over time

Job vacancies decreased by 9.8% (36,200 vacancies) in the three months to August 2021 (seasonally adjusted). The August vacancies reflect a point in time where many businesses were subject to restrictions, with a number of states in lockdown. 

However, the level of job vacancies remained higher than they were six months ago, and were still 46.5% higher than in February 2020, prior to the start of the pandemic. The ongoing high level of vacancies reflects the pace of recovery in labour demand from the fall in May 2020, as well as a number of industries indicating labour shortages, particularly for lower paid jobs. 

The Job Vacancy Survey was suspended between August 2008 to August 2009 (inclusive). 

Businesses reporting vacancies

The number of businesses reporting at least one vacancy also shows the extent of the acute reduction in labour demand in May 2020, as well as the subsequent change. In May 2020, a much lower proportion of businesses reported at least one vacancy (6.5%). By May 2021, this had increased to 22.0% of businesses. For August 2021, this number declined to 20.3% but remained higher than February 2020 (11.0%), which was prior to the impact of COVID-19. 

Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, states and territories
 Feb-20May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21
New South Wales12.1%5.8%11.6%15.1%19.6%22.9%19.4%
Victoria11.2%6.0%11.5%15.5%18.0%22.0%18.8%
Queensland10.4%10.5%13.7%12.9%17.4%22.6%26.9%
South Australia8.1%2.9%8.8%9.1%15.7%15.6%13.1%
Western Australia10.2%5.5%15.6%16.7%16.3%21.7%21.5%
Tasmania8.3%4.5%10.7%14.2%17.8%21.8%15.1%
Northern Territory9.2%6.7%20.7%21.0%21.8%26.5%20.8%
Australian Capital Territory9.4%3.5%4.7%17.3%12.1%13.8%9.4%
Australia11.0%6.5%12.1%14.7%18.1%22.0%20.3%
Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, industry
 Feb-20May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21
Mining20.9%8.3%16.1%16.3%21.1%11.0%18.1%
Manufacturing8.0%4.4%14.0%14.6%15.3%15.1%22.9%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services10.2%11.8%21.9%18.5%13.9%12.8%9.9%
Construction13.6%4.6%12.0%13.0%22.8%26.9%23.3%
Wholesale trade14.6%14.1%14.0%17.8%15.2%23.6%22.3%
Retail trade13.3%9.7%9.9%17.8%16.4%21.6%21.4%
Accommodation and food services14.5%2.3%13.9%16.9%30.5%30.5%18.3%
Transport, postal and warehousing5.3%4.1%10.7%4.3%20.2%22.0%15.7%
Information media and telecommunications14.0%7.0%5.2%14.0%18.3%20.0%15.9%
Financial and insurance services4.5%5.0%6.6%15.7%16.9%20.5%10.3%
Rental, hiring and real estate services6.9%4.1%11.8%12.8%11.1%16.9%19.3%
Professional, scientific and technical services9.4%9.2%14.8%14.2%14.5%16.4%15.4%
Administrative and support services16.5%7.8%16.2%18.9%17.1%23.6%29.8%
Public administration and safety31.3%22.6%27.9%35.4%30.0%42.2%29.8%
Education and training7.5%4.0%10.8%5.2%8.6%11.5%9.7%
Health care and social assistance8.2%6.5%8.9%13.6%13.4%23.3%21.2%
Arts and recreation services3.4%0.5%2.1%21.0%3.1%14.0%9.3%
Other services10.6%5.6%11.1%16.7%21.1%22.8%28.1%
All industries11.0%6.5%12.1%14.7%18.1%22.0%20.3%
Reasons for vacancies
 Feb-20May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21
Replacement/resignations78.6%72.9%75.3%75.1%76.2%76.0%75.1%
Increased workload35.9%32.0%36.7%41.3%44.5%45.4%42.3%
Expansion of business25.4%15.7%19.9%21.2%25.4%26.8%25.3%
Restructure16.6%14.1%14.6%16.8%14.0%14.3%15.7%
Relocation0.8%0.7%1.0%0.6%0.8%0.7%0.8%
Seasonal10.7%9.0%11.7%16.4%10.1%10.0%11.4%
Special event1.5%2.7%3.0%2.3%2.1%2.1%2.5%
Takeover1.1%0.7%1.5%1.0%1.0%1.4%1.4%
Other6.5%11.6%11.9%10.9%8.8%10.3%11.8%

Businesses may have multiple reasons for reporting job vacancies
Proportions are of businesses that reported at least one vacancy

States and territories

Change in job vacancies, states and territories
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
Adjusted)
 %%%%%%%%%%
Change from previous quarter
May-20-49.9-51.9-34.3-41.6-39.1-45.7-39.7-46.2-45.8-43.3
Aug-2056.459.567.083.291.484.7146.357.267.159.6
Nov-2032.927.613.724.616.250.40.140.424.623.0
Feb-2113.612.411.824.26.810.213.13.512.313.9
May-2120.033.425.610.415.614.45.17.222.128.0
Aug-21-15.6-7.15.0-15.812.7-10.321.1-8.8-5.2-9.8
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Aug-19-8.5-7.612.8-3.52.120.320.612.5-2.2-1.9
Aug-20-14.6-25.27.810.221.9-6.1-1.8-25.6-8.1-8.0
Aug-2153.077.767.544.061.770.044.042.062.061.8

Private sector

Change in job vacancies, private sector
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
Adjusted)
 %%%%%%%%%%
Change from previous quarter
May-20-53.2-54.8-34.3-48.1-39.2-46.6-39.0-48.8-48.1-45.3
Aug-2064.567.471.1104.795.782.0186.846.274.365.6
Nov-2035.430.012.125.216.153.2-2.962.125.623.9
Feb-2115.412.611.730.25.017.88.70.712.914.5
May-2119.536.127.88.117.714.69.110.523.329.9
Aug-21-17.0-8.55.4-17.112.1-16.421.1-8.4-6.0-10.9
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Aug-19-11.0-7.111.3-8.02.425.114.3-2.9-3.8-3.6
Aug-20-15.9-27.311.011.723.3-6.5-1.7-27.4-8.2-8.2
Aug-2155.082.368.846.060.872.939.565.164.564.3

Public sector

Change in job vacancies, public sector
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
Adjusted)
 %%%%%%%%%%
Change from previous quarter
May-20-20.2-26.1-34.3-2.7-37.1-40.8-41.5-38.8-26.5-27.0
Aug-2014.016.126.414.343.899.137.883.524.623.0
Nov-2013.98.534.721.217.936.316.7-1.215.715.2
Feb-21-2.110.712.1-11.533.4-31.733.412.56.58.9
May-2125.47.80.831.3-7.611.9-10.1-1.910.410.0
Aug-21-1.89.4-1.5-6.020.348.921.0-10.23.62.3
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Aug-1920.9-12.129.230.6-1.50.773.667.214.714.8
Aug-20-3.4-2.6-22.32.63.5-3.9-2.1-22.1-7.1-6.9
Aug-2137.341.750.032.474.955.369.3-2.141.041.1

Industry

Job vacancies ('000), industry, original
 May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21
Mining4.35.66.37.58.38.4
Manufacturing7.013.515.316.620.723.2
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1.61.92.22.73.03.0
Construction8.315.917.926.729.923.2
Wholesale trade6.59.913.414.017.814.4
Retail trade11.418.525.724.934.333.6
Accommodation and food services*5.0*13.522.427.638.227.6
Transport, postal and warehousing3.35.56.69.310.611.5
Information media and telecommunications2.02.42.73.83.73.5
Financial and insurance services7.812.312.814.717.915.8
Rental, hiring and real estate services*1.0*3.64.44.67.85.8
Professional, scientific and technical services13.123.527.031.231.931.7
Administrative and support services17.524.226.828.635.236.8
Public administration and safety8.613.416.715.017.217.5
Education and training3.66.46.78.510.59.8
Health care and social assistance19.728.437.739.147.751.2
Arts and recreation services**0.1**1.24.02.65.43.9
Other services*3.6*8.310.613.615.416.0

* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use

Downloads

Note

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.

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