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 2024
Released
28/03/2024

Key statistics

Seasonally adjusted estimates for February 2024:

  • Total job vacancies were 363,800, a decrease of 6.1% from November 2023.
  • Private sector vacancies were 323,700, a decrease of 6.1% from November 2023.
  • Public sector vacancies were 40,100, a decrease of 6.1% from November 2023.
Job vacancies, public and private sector
  Feb-2024 ('000)Quarterly change (%)Yearly change (%)
TrendPrivate sector324.8-4.2-17.7
Public sector40.4-4.6-14.3
Private and public sectors365.3-4.3-17.4
Seasonally AdjustedPrivate sector323.7-6.1-18.1
Public sector40.1-6.1-14.6
Private and public sectors363.8-6.1-17.7
OriginalPrivate sector323.8-5.7-18.4
Public sector39.0-9.9-14.7
Private and public sectors362.7-6.1-18.0

Survey impacts and changes

New approach for estimating the contribution of micro-employers

Other measures of labour demand

Intention to retire the additional estimates produced during the COVID-19 period

Job vacancies over time

Job vacancies decreased by 6.1% (23,600 vacancies) in the three months to February 2024 (seasonally adjusted). Despite this being the seventh consecutive quarterly decrease, the level of job vacancies in February 2024 remained elevated. Job vacancies were 59.8% 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 18.3% in February 2024.

With the new approach for estimating the number of vacancies for micro-employers, the contribution to the proportion of businesses reporting vacancies for these employers will also be modelled from November 2023.

Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, states and territories (%)
 Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23Nov-23Feb-24
New South Wales24.226.228.928.027.426.520.118.818.5
Victoria22.927.327.129.225.424.726.320.619.5
Queensland26.022.826.728.322.625.423.324.117.1
South Australia17.617.319.718.416.019.417.215.319.4
Western Australia22.428.325.229.421.623.116.317.116.1
Tasmania19.219.114.022.015.614.516.912.717.3
Northern Territory27.831.636.535.626.423.425.820.921.4
Australian Capital Territory16.613.715.513.716.017.115.012.812.3
Australia23.525.226.727.724.324.721.719.718.3
Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, industry (%)
 Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23Nov-23Feb-24
Mining27.824.819.327.126.026.425.320.923.8
Manufacturing29.622.325.923.826.816.829.518.219.0
Electricity, gas, water and waste services39.234.513.131.025.236.724.226.015.2
Construction24.330.328.528.524.223.622.226.725.0
Wholesale trade29.516.826.119.923.422.923.121.123.8
Retail trade16.617.723.831.523.021.728.117.116.3
Accommodation and food services32.434.042.545.341.735.531.825.620.3
Transport, postal and warehousing22.422.625.821.516.621.313.220.910.3
Information media and telecommunications19.826.720.429.021.421.315.816.431.1
Financial and insurance services14.820.08.221.77.411.87.59.411.4
Rental, hiring and real estate services20.125.227.326.113.913.015.78.718.8
Professional, scientific and technical services17.618.019.424.819.622.216.816.19.3
Administrative and support services36.238.332.836.826.734.027.528.632.4
Public administration and safety33.537.937.435.043.332.034.829.625.1
Education and training9.914.68.37.728.928.726.817.818.1
Health care and social assistance18.926.733.417.530.829.521.220.322.6
Arts and recreation services8.310.24.79.318.622.717.810.816.1
Other services32.732.734.436.725.331.118.623.218.3
All industries23.525.226.727.724.324.721.719.718.3
Reasons for vacancies (%)
 Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23Nov-23Feb-24
Replacement/resignations79.780.478.277.179.677.677.477.982.8
Increased workload47.847.045.444.044.039.738.638.939.2
Expansion of business25.927.827.825.626.726.424.826.326.2
Restructure13.914.413.212.813.714.514.314.315.1
Relocation1.00.70.90.91.10.50.80.80.7
Seasonal12.011.614.118.112.311.413.418.412.7
Special event2.11.91.82.21.81.81.81.91.3
Takeover2.01.01.51.82.01.61.61.51.2
Other12.98.67.16.49.88.29.210.46.5

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
Nov-22-11.8-7.0-0.10.41.912.8-1.72.0-5.2-1.50.1
Feb-239.0-5.9-0.8-9.4-14.88.4-8.4-5.8-1.8-2.4-2.9
May-23-11.7-5.1-9.38.74.0-7.6-8.3-1.1-6.2-3.6-4.7
Aug-23-4.5-5.23.8-1.0-4.3-4.7-4.8-8.4-3.0-8.4-5.0
Nov-23-2.3-4.7-2.2-2.8-5.8-3.6-13.9-17.2-3.9-0.8-4.7
Feb-24-10.0-3.6-11.18.0-3.34.7-7.41.0-6.1-6.1-4.3
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-2238.355.143.626.566.329.576.440.446.747.249.2
Feb-2311.58.810.5-6.2-20.64.8-18.90.33.74.13.7
Feb-24-25.8-17.4-18.213.0-9.3-11.0-30.4-24.2-18.0-17.7-17.4

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
Nov-22-13.7-7.4-1.0-0.41.312.1-2.87.8-6.1-2.0-0.4
Feb-2310.8-7.8-0.4-11.2-14.19.2-8.72.7-1.6-2.7-3.3
May-23-13.3-7.4-8.69.43.3-9.6-13.32.4-7.3-4.0-5
Aug-23-3.3-4.63.6-0.4-5.0-4.3-7.6-9.0-2.6-8.7-5.1
Nov-23-3.1-3.3-3.1-3.6-6.0-4.6-14.1-23.9-4.2-0.5-4.7
Feb-24-9.1-3.7-12.111.5-1.94.5-8.77.1-5.7-6.1-4.2
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-2238.257.644.126.170.328.088.241.047.948.550.7
Feb-239.66.09.5-9.4-21.33.0-21.1-2.11.82.21.6
Feb-24-26.2-17.8-19.317.1-9.6-13.8-37.2-24.1-18.4-18.1-17.7

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
Nov-226.6-3.010.06.810.917.54.0-7.84.13.64.7
Feb-23-4.814.7-5.74.3-23.62.7-7.2-22.7-3.50.30.9
May-232.914.7-17.14.614.47.414.7-10.13.1-1.0-2.2
Aug-23-12.6-9.45.3-5.54.1-6.84.8-6.7-6.5-5.8-3.9
Nov-234.1-15.28.63.1-2.32.9-13.52.5-1.8-2.5-4.5
Feb-24-17.0-2.8-1.6-14.3-18.95.9-3.1-12.3-9.9-6.1-4.6
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-2240.230.737.830.721.144.431.638.634.434.635.6
Feb-2331.541.921.821.2-9.720.4-7.17.123.623.724.9
Feb-24-22.3-14.3-6.7-12.7-5.79.10.7-24.6-14.7-14.6-14.3

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated
 

Industry

Job vacancies, industry, original ('000)
 Nov-22Feb-23May-23Aug-23Nov-23Feb-24
Mining9.810.611.711.411.510.7
Manufacturing25.925.122.625.123.423.3
Electricity, gas, water and waste services4.54.54.94.94.84.6
Construction29.931.233.128.828.527.9
Wholesale trade16.616.515.315.514.016.2
Retail trade49.936.432.238.537.232.1
Accommodation and food services56.357.842.541.438.835.1
Transport, postal and warehousing15.414.613.412.111.510.1
Information media and telecommunications4.33.63.83.53.43.6
Financial and insurance services16.814.913.411.310.011.7
Rental, hiring and real estate services9.45.95.55.54.85.8
Professional, scientific and technical services40.847.644.742.541.434.6
Administrative and support services41.338.437.533.231.530.0
Public administration and safety30.126.422.923.623.819.0
Education and training11.113.515.915.513.615.6
Health care and social assistance62.772.472.968.167.565.0
Arts and recreation services7.86.66.57.37.34.9
Other services18.016.516.114.213.512.6

Data Downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.

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