Job ad market returns to positive y/y growth

OVERVIEW OF NOVEMBER 2020:

STATE OF THE NATION:

SEEK job ads are up by 8.6% month-on-month (m/m).
SEEK job ads are up 1.0% year-on-year (y/y). This is the first y/y increase in new job ads since before the pandemic.
Hiring in some industries has continued later into the year than usual, particularly in Hospitality & Tourism which experienced the highest m/m job ad volume growth.
While jobseeker traffic remains consistent y/y, applications volumes are down. This is most notable in Trades & Services, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Hospitality & Tourism and Retail.

STATE OF THE STATES:

For a third month running, the top three states that contributed the most to m/m growth in job ads were Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
Victoria experienced the biggest m/m rise of 20.2%, its third consecutive month of double-digit growth.
South Australia job ads slowed in November when temporary restrictions were introduced but still ended the month with an overall m/m increase of 2.5%.

STATE OF THE NATION: JOB AD MARKET RETURNS TO POSITIVE Y/Y GROWTH

Figure 1: National SEEK Job Ad percentage change (m/m)

STATE OF THE STATES: VIC RECOVERY MOVES AHEAD OF NSW AND ACT

Throughout the COVID recovery, we have outlined how job ads across all states and territories are recovering from their lowest point in April at three different rates.

Kendra Banks continues: “Looking at the national picture, we have continued to see strong month-on-month growth across all states and territories except in Western Australia, which saw a very small decline in November – however the state is still up considerably on this time last year. WA’s 1.0% decline can likely be attributed to the seasonal winding down of the year.

“In South Australia, which experienced a brief reintroduction of restrictions, the impact on job ads was immediate with a 26-percentage point drop in the corresponding week. Despite this, South Australia rebounded well and finished the month with a 2.5% increase in job ads, and a healthy 17.6% higher than the same time last year.

“For the first time since COVID restrictions were imposed, Victoria is no longer the state with the biggest percentage difference of new job ads compared to 12 months ago. After three consecutive months of double-digit growth, including 17.3% in September, 20.7% in October and now 20.2% in November, Victoria has moved beyond ACT and New South Wales in year-on-year job ad growth. This marks a significant turnaround for the state, which was severely impacted during this year’s COVID restrictions and lockdown.”

Table 1: National, state and territory job ad growth/decline comparing November 2020 to: i) October 2020 (m/m) and; ii) November 2019 (y/y)

Figure 2: National SEEK Job Ad percentage change by state (November 2020 vs October 2020)

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY SECTORS: EVERY INDUSTRY SAW A M/M INCREASE IN JOB ADS

Topping the list of industries contributing the most to growth in jobs listed on seek.com.au, for the second month in a row, are Hospitality & Tourism followed by Trades & Services and Healthcare & Medical.

Trades & Services and Healthcare & Medical have not only had the most significant m/m contribution to growth, but both industries have more job ads than this time last year with a 34.5% and 9.1% increase respectively. Hospitality & Tourism has had a y/y increase of 28%.

Below is an example of the sorts of roles most in-demand within the top three sectors for November:

Hospitality & Tourism with roles for chefs/cooks, waiting staff, bar & beverage staff, management, kitchen & sandwich hands, house-keeping and front office & guest services.
Trades & Services with roles in automotive trades, labourers, electricians, hair & beauty services, welders & boiler makers, technicians, carpentry & cabinet making, gardening & landscaping being in demand.
Healthcare & Medical including roles for physiotherapists, occupational therapists & rehabilitation, nurses – aged care and general medical, psychology, counselling & social work, dental and medical administration.

Figure 3: National SEEK Job Ad percentage change by industry (November 2020 vs October 2020)

Download the latest employment data here

For more employment insights or career advice please visit SEEK’s Hiring Advice or SEEK’s Career Advice