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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
February 2022
Released
31/03/2022

Key statistics

Seasonally adjusted estimates for February 2022:

  • Total job vacancies were 423,500, an increase of 6.9% from November 2021.
  • Private sector vacancies were 386,200, an increase of 6.7% from November 2021.
  • Public sector vacancies were 37,300, an increase of 8.6% from November 2021.
Job vacancies, public and private sector, seasonally adjusted
 Feb-22Quarterly ChangeAnnual Change
'000%%
Private sector386.26.748.0
Public sector37.38.634.2
Private and public sectors423.56.946.6

Survey impacts and changes

Continuing use of forward factors for seasonal adjustment

Suspension of trend estimates

Survey response remains high in February

Other measures of labour demand

Job vacancies over time

Job vacancies increased by 6.9% (27,300 vacancies) in the three months to February 2022 (seasonally adjusted). The estimates captured a point in time after the initial peak of the Omicron wave but when there was still considerable disruption in the labour market.

The level of job vacancies in February 2022 was 86% 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 businesses across the economy indicating labour shortages and ongoing disruptions to operations.

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 May 2020, a much lower proportion of businesses reported at least one vacancy (6.5%). By February 2022, this had increased to 23.5% of businesses, after a slight fall in August 2021.

Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, states and territories
 Feb-20May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22
%%%%%%%%%
New South Wales12.15.811.615.119.622.919.422.324.2
Victoria11.26.011.515.518.022.018.821.222.9
Queensland10.410.513.712.917.422.626.920.026.0
South Australia8.12.98.89.115.715.613.114.717.6
Western Australia10.25.515.616.716.321.721.519.522.4
Tasmania8.34.510.714.217.821.815.118.519.2
Northern Territory9.26.720.721.021.826.520.823.127.8
Australian Capital Territory9.43.54.717.312.113.89.413.416.6
Australia116.512.114.718.122.020.320.723.5
Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, industry
 Feb-20May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22
%%%%%%%%%
Mining20.98.316.116.321.111.018.117.127.8
Manufacturing8.04.414.014.615.315.122.924.929.6
Electricity, gas, water and waste services10.211.821.918.513.912.89.921.339.2
Construction13.64.612.013.022.826.923.321.524.3
Wholesale trade14.614.114.017.815.223.622.320.529.5
Retail trade13.39.79.917.816.421.621.415.916.6
Accommodation and food services14.52.313.916.930.530.518.330.932.4
Transport, postal and warehousing5.34.110.74.320.222.015.717.322.4
Information media and telecommunications14.07.05.214.018.320.015.915.519.8
Financial and insurance services4.55.06.615.716.920.510.35.514.8
Rental, hiring and real estate services6.94.111.812.811.116.919.315.120.1
Professional, scientific and technical services9.49.214.814.214.516.415.416.617.6
Administrative and support services16.57.816.218.917.123.629.830.536.2
Public administration and safety31.322.627.935.430.042.229.827.533.5
Education and training7.54.010.85.28.611.59.79.19.9
Health care and social assistance8.26.58.913.613.423.321.226.718.9
Arts and recreation services3.40.52.121.03.114.09.36.78.3
Other services10.65.611.116.721.122.828.125.432.7
All industries11.06.512.114.718.122.020.320.723.5
Reasons for vacancies
 Feb-20May-20Aug-20Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22
%%%%%%%%%
Replacement/resignations78.672.975.375.176.276.075.177.479.7
Increased workload35.932.036.741.344.545.442.345.947.8
Expansion of business25.415.719.921.225.426.825.325.725.9
Restructure16.614.114.616.814.014.315.713.813.9
Relocation0.80.71.00.60.80.70.80.51.0
Seasonal10.79.011.716.410.110.011.419.012.0
Special event1.52.73.02.32.12.12.52.42.1
Takeover1.10.71.51.01.01.41.41.62.0
Other6.511.611.910.98.810.311.812.012.9

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
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-2120.033.425.610.415.614.45.17.222.128.1
Aug-21-15.6-7.15.0-15.812.7-10.321.1-8.8-5.2-9.8
Nov-2127.030.4-0.431.916.917.31.523.920.118.8
Feb-227.5-4.09.43.19.27.636.615.95.56.9
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-20-5.6-7.04.924.60.515.3-21.00.1-2.2-2.0
Feb-2118.510.039.665.644.866.068.022.826.826.8
Feb-2238.355.143.626.566.329.576.440.446.746.6

Private sector

Change in job vacancies, Private sector
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
adjusted)
%%%%%%%%%%
Change from previous quarter
Nov-2035.430.012.125.216.153.2-2.962.125.624.0
Feb-2115.412.611.730.25.017.88.70.712.914.4
May-2119.536.127.88.117.714.69.110.523.330.0
Aug-21-17.0-8.55.4-17.112.1-16.421.1-8.4-6.0-10.9
Nov-2130.331.8-2.034.417.416.03.626.121.119.7
Feb-226.9-3.99.14.89.915.137.410.55.46.7
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-20-7.7-8.83.227.2-1.919.2-34.62.3-4.2-4.0
Feb-2120.410.841.073.445.075.484.522.128.528.6
Feb-2238.257.644.126.170.328.088.241.047.948.0

Public sector

Change in job vacancies, Public sector
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
adjusted)
%%%%%%%%%%
Change from previous quarter
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
Nov-21-1.216.123.716.59.524.4-8.316.910.49.7
Feb-2215.2-4.612.1-9.1-0.5-30.431.934.66.48.6
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-2019.513.926.811.339.9-3.968.3-5.818.317.8
Feb-211.43.025.419.242.39.925.424.812.812.6
Feb-2240.230.737.830.721.144.431.638.634.434.2

Industry

Job vacancies ('000), industry
 Nov-20Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22
Mining6.37.58.38.49.710.6
Manufacturing15.316.620.723.229.530.6
Electricity, gas, water and waste services2.22.73.03.03.54.0
Construction17.926.729.923.230.035.2
Wholesale trade13.414.017.814.416.721.7
Retail trade25.724.934.333.636.029.1
Accommodation and food services22.427.638.227.645.846.1
Transport, postal and warehousing6.69.310.611.513.314.7
Information media and telecommunications2.73.83.73.54.74.5
Financial and insurance services12.814.717.915.817.018.1
Rental, hiring and real estate services4.44.67.85.88.59.3
Professional, scientific and technical services27.031.231.931.737.142.1
Administrative and support services26.828.635.236.839.940.6
Public administration and safety16.715.017.217.518.921.5
Education and training6.78.510.59.810.211.6
Health care and social assistance37.739.147.751.260.260.2
Arts and recreation services4.02.65.43.97.46.2
Other services10.613.615.416.016.120.7

All figures are original

Data Downloads

Trend estimates suspension

Trend estimates have been suspended from May 2020 for all job vacancies series due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market.

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

ABS website changes

Update to thematic grouping and navigation on the ABS website

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.

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