Job vacancies in Australia experienced a slight decrease of 0.2 per cent in the three months leading up to November, according to the latest quarterly figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The decline was primarily attributed to a reduction in vacancies within the private sector. Robert Long, head of labour statistics at the ABS, noted that the total number of job vacancies in November stood at 326,700, a figure consistent with that recorded in February 2023. Over the year to November, there was an overall decrease of 17,800 job vacancies, representing a 5.2 per cent fall.
The annual decrease was largely driven by the private sector, which saw a 6.8 per cent decline in job vacancies over the year to November. In contrast, public sector vacancies increased by 8.9 per cent during the same period, showing a divergence in employment trends between the two sectors.
Across various industries, the most significant decrease in job vacancies was observed in the education and training sector, which experienced a fall of 15.5 per cent. Following closely behind was the rental, hiring, and real estate services industry, which saw a decrease of 12.8 per cent in job vacancies.
