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 2023
Released
28/09/2023

Key statistics

Seasonally adjusted estimates for August 2023:

  • Total job vacancies were 390,400, a decrease of 8.9% from May 2023.
  • Private sector vacancies were 346,600, a decrease of 9.2% from May 2023.
  • Public sector vacancies were 43,800, a decrease of 6.3% from May 2023.
Job vacancies, public and private sector
  Aug-2023 ('000)Quarterly change (%)Yearly change (%)
TrendPrivate sector354.7-5.4-13.5
Public sector44.7-2.80.0
Private and public sectors399.4-5.1-12.2
Seasonally AdjustedPrivate sector346.6-9.2-16.5
Public sector43.8-6.3-3.1
Private and public sectors390.4-8.9-15.2
OriginalPrivate sector358.3-2.6-16.6
Public sector44.1-6.5-3.2
Private and public sectors402.3-3.0-15.3

Survey impacts and changes

Other measures of labour demand

New approach for estimating the contribution of micro-employers

Job vacancies over time

Job vacancies decreased by 8.9% (37,900 vacancies) in the three months to August 2023 (seasonally adjusted). Despite this being the fifth consecutive quarterly decrease, the level of job vacancies in August 2023 remained elevated. Job vacancies were 71.5% higher than they were in February 2020, prior to the start of the pandemic. The ongoing high level of vacancies reflected the continuing labour shortages in many industries.

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

Businesses reporting vacancies

The number of businesses reporting at least one vacancy shows the extent of the acute reduction in labour demand in May 2020, as well as the subsequent change since then. In February 2020, just prior to the main effects of COVID-19, the proportion of businesses reporting at least one vacancy was 11.0%. In May 2020, a much lower proportion of businesses reported at least one vacancy (6.5%). By November 2022, this had increased to 27.7%. In line with the decrease in the number of vacancies over recent quarters, the proportion of businesses reporting at least one vacancy also decreased to 21.7% in August 2023.

Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, states and territories (%)
 Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23
New South Wales19.422.324.226.228.928.027.426.520.1
Victoria18.821.222.927.327.129.225.424.726.3
Queensland26.920.026.022.826.728.322.625.423.3
South Australia13.114.717.617.319.718.416.019.417.2
Western Australia21.519.522.428.325.229.421.623.116.3
Tasmania15.118.519.219.114.022.015.614.516.9
Northern Territory20.823.127.831.636.535.626.423.425.8
Australian Capital Territory9.413.416.613.715.513.716.017.115.0
Australia20.320.723.525.226.727.724.324.721.7
Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, industry (%)
 Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23
Mining18.117.127.824.819.327.126.026.425.3
Manufacturing22.924.929.622.325.923.826.816.829.5
Electricity, gas, water and waste services9.921.339.234.513.131.025.236.724.2
Construction23.321.524.330.328.528.524.223.622.2
Wholesale trade22.320.529.516.826.119.923.422.923.1
Retail trade21.415.916.617.723.831.523.021.728.1
Accommodation and food services18.330.932.434.042.545.341.735.531.8
Transport, postal and warehousing15.717.322.422.625.821.516.621.313.2
Information media and telecommunications15.915.519.826.720.429.021.421.315.8
Financial and insurance services10.35.514.820.08.221.77.411.87.5
Rental, hiring and real estate services19.315.120.125.227.326.113.913.015.7
Professional, scientific and technical services15.416.617.618.019.424.819.622.216.8
Administrative and support services29.830.536.238.332.836.826.734.027.5
Public administration and safety29.827.533.537.937.435.043.332.034.8
Education and training9.79.19.914.68.37.728.928.726.8
Health care and social assistance21.226.718.926.733.417.530.829.521.2
Arts and recreation services9.36.78.310.24.79.318.622.717.8
Other services28.125.432.732.734.436.725.331.118.6
All industries20.320.723.525.226.727.724.324.721.7
Reasons for vacancies (%)
 Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23
Replacement/resignations75.177.479.780.478.277.179.677.677.4
Increased workload42.345.947.847.045.444.044.039.738.6
Expansion of business25.325.725.927.827.825.626.726.424.8
Restructure15.713.813.914.413.212.813.714.514.3
Relocation0.80.51.00.70.90.91.10.50.8
Seasonal11.419.012.011.614.118.112.311.413.4
Special event2.52.42.11.91.82.21.81.81.8
Takeover1.41.62.01.01.51.82.01.61.6
Other11.812.012.98.67.16.49.88.29.2

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)Australia (Trend)
Change from previous quarter
May-2211.618.02.20.0-1.92.8-8.77.58.012.74.3
Aug-223.95.49.13.1-6.8-16.6-1.3-2.93.0-3.52.4
Nov-22-11.8-7.0-0.10.41.912.8-1.72.0-5.2-1.50.0
Feb-239.0-5.9-0.8-9.4-14.88.4-8.4-5.8-1.8-3.2-3.1
May-23-11.7-5.1-9.38.74.0-7.6-8.3-1.1-6.2-2.5-4.5
Aug-23-4.5-5.23.8-1.0-4.3-4.7-4.8-8.4-3.0-8.9-5.1
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Aug-2153.077.767.544.061.770.044.042.062.061.332.9
Aug-2258.455.721.640.316.78.324.950.041.040.739.0
Aug-23-18.8-21.3-6.8-2.1-13.67.7-21.4-13.0-15.3-15.2-12.2

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated

Private sector

Change in job vacancies, private sector (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia (Seasonally adjusted)Australia (Trend)
Change from previous quarter
May-2211.418.21.90.3-2.72.7-12.33.47.713.13.7
Aug-223.05.08.92.1-7.0-18.11.5-14.52.3-4.81.9
Nov-22-13.7-7.4-1.0-0.41.312.1-2.87.8-6.1-2.1-0.5
Feb-2310.8-7.8-0.4-11.2-14.19.2-8.72.7-1.6-3.4-3.5
May-23-13.3-7.4-8.69.43.3-9.6-13.32.4-7.3-2.8-4.8
Aug-23-3.3-4.63.6-0.4-5.0-4.3-7.6-9.0-2.6-9.2-5.4
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Aug-2155.082.368.846.060.872.939.565.164.563.733.7
Aug-2259.757.118.844.216.712.326.823.240.640.238.9
Aug-23-19.9-24.6-6.5-3.6-14.65.9-28.93.2-16.6-16.5-13.5

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated

Public sector

Change in job vacancies, public sector (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia (Seasonally adjusted)Australia (Trend)
Change from previous quarter
May-2214.315.45.4-2.211.43.811.219.211.78.510.0
Aug-2213.310.511.411.3-4.4-3.9-13.526.010.210.47.7
Nov-226.6-3.010.06.810.917.54.0-7.84.14.24.6
Feb-23-4.814.7-5.74.3-23.62.7-7.2-22.7-3.5-1.20.2
May-232.914.7-17.14.614.47.414.7-10.13.10.4-1.9
Aug-23-12.6-9.45.3-5.54.1-6.84.8-6.7-6.5-6.3-2.8
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Aug-2137.341.750.032.474.955.369.3-2.141.041.225.9
Aug-2247.441.262.915.316.1-13.616.5136.544.644.840.4
Aug-23-8.715.6-9.410.00.920.815.9-40.3-3.2-3.10.0

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated

Industry

Job vacancies, industry, original ('000)
 May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23
Mining11.210.69.810.611.711.4
Manufacturing28.928.325.925.122.625.1
Electricity, gas, water and waste services4.24.44.54.54.94.9
Construction39.933.529.931.233.128.8
Wholesale trade19.220.516.616.515.315.5
Retail trade40.346.149.936.432.238.5
Accommodation and food services51.959.156.357.842.541.4
Transport, postal and warehousing15.217.715.414.613.412.1
Information media and telecommunications5.35.44.33.63.83.5
Financial and insurance services20.218.616.814.913.411.3
Rental, hiring and real estate services9.710.19.45.95.55.5
Professional, scientific and technical services42.944.140.847.644.742.5
Administrative and support services38.238.041.338.437.533.2
Public administration and safety24.127.530.126.422.923.6
Education and training12.711.211.113.515.915.5
Health care and social assistance68.974.362.772.472.968.1
Arts and recreation services7.26.67.86.66.57.3
Other services21.118.818.016.516.114.2

Data Downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.

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