SEEK Employment Report - For the second month running SEEK job ads are at an all-time high
OVERVIEW OF APRIL 2021:
STATE OF THE NATION:
- April is the second consecutive record-breaking month of job ads posted in SEEK’s 23+ year history.
- Applications per ad are at the lowest level since 2012.
- SEEK job ads were up by 11.9% month-on-month (m/m).
- SEEK job ads were up 263.7% year-on-year (y/y) and up 30.9% compared to April 2019.
- Eleven industries have the highest ever job ad volumes. Hospitality & Tourism continues its very strong start to 2021 with a 21.7% m/m increase.
STATE OF THE STATES:
- All states and territories saw a m/m increase in job ads.
- All states and territories recorded the highest job ad volumes ever on seek.com.au.
- The top three states that contributed the most to m/m job ad growth were New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
STATE OF THE NATION: FOR THE SECOND MONTH RUNNING SEEK JOB ADS ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH
The latest SEEK Employment Report shows new job ads on seek.com.au increased by 11.9% m/m in April 2021.
Comparing April 2021 to April 2020, national jobs advertised rose by 263.7%, further highlighting the sharp impact COVID-19 had on the labour market this time last year. As comparisons to 2020 are not very meaningful, looking at April 2019 we can see that job ad volume is up 30.9% nationally.
Kendra Banks, Managing Director, SEEK ANZ, comments: “For the second consecutive month, we have seen the highest number of job ads ever posted on seek.com.au. Traditionally at this time of year we would be talking about a quieter employment market due to the impact of the Easter holidays on recruitment – but to say this is not a typical year is an understatement.
“The COVID bounce back continues at pace, and particularly in small and medium-sized businesses. Job ad volumes in the Hospitality & Tourism industry have grown 21.7% month-on-month and are 16 times higher when comparing April 2021 to April 2020.
“As I referenced last month when we reported record-breaking figures, there are factors that are driving these strong numbers that are important to consider, including that many of the jobs currently being advertised are for roles that were displaced in the last year.
“In regard to jobseekers’ behaviour, in February 2021, applications per ad were 28.7% lower than February 2020, and have dropped a further 13.8% in March this year, meaning that the current applications per ad continue to be at the lowest levels they have been since 2012. The reasons for this include workers continuing to display a more cautious attitude to the job market, and the reduced labour supply impacting the ability to fill roles.”
Figure 1: National SEEK Job Ad percentage change (m/m) - January 2020 to April 2021
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STATE OF THE STATES: ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES BREAK THEIR JOB AD RECORDS
All states and territories showed strong m/m growth. The top three states that contributed the most to job ad growth were New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.
Kendra Banks continues: “This comeback from COVID is occurring right across Australia. Every state and territory had more job ads last month on seek.com.au than ever before.
“Around this time last year, the first wave of restrictions were imposed, and each state and territory was similarly impacted. Victoria was subject to stricter and longer lockdowns, so it is particularly pleasing to see it has recovered well, recording the highest percentage increase month-on-month as well as showing the highest growth since this time last year. This is a demonstration of the growing business confidence in the state and continued relaxation and removal of restrictions, particularly in the Melbourne CBD.”
Table 1: National, state and territory job ad growth/decline comparing April 2021 to: i) March 2021 (m/m); ii) April 2020 (y/y) and; iii) April 2019.
Figure 2: National SEEK Job Ad percentage change by state (April 2021 vs March 2021)
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY SECTORS: HOSPITALITY & TOURISM - A YEAR OF EXTREMES
For the third month running, every industry, except Farming, Animals and Conservation, has seen m/m growth. The top three industries making a positive contribution to the growth of job ads m/m are Hospitality & Tourism (21.7% m/m), Trades & Services (13.6% m/m), and Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (15.9% m/m).
The following 11 industries all had more job ads in April 2021 than ever before on seek.com.au. The industries are listed in order of the highest volume of roles.
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Figure 3: National SEEK Job Ad percentage change by industry (April 2021 vs March 2021)
Click for the latest SEEK Employment Reports or for more employment insights or career advice please visit SEEK’s Hiring Advice or SEEK's Career Advice
MEDIA NOTE: When reporting SEEK data, we request that you attribute SEEK as the source and refer to SEEK as an employment marketplace.
