Following a dip in June, regional job vacancies rose by 3 per cent in July 2021 to reach a fresh record of 69,700 jobs – the previous record being 69,300 vacancies in May this year. Regional employers have maintained their high hiring expectations and labour shortages are holding back business growth in regional Australia.
This update precedes any effects of the recent lockdown across regional New South Wales. Thus far in 2021 regional NSW has accounted for nearly one third of national regional job vacancies. Any effects of the lockdown on regional NSW will weigh on the overall national profile of regional job vacancies.
What’s more, Greater Sydney’s lockdown – starting at the end of June – appears to already be having some effect on demand for labour in regional NSW. That is, regional NSW recorded the weakest growth in job vacancies of all the jurisdictions, up by 0.8 per cent in July. This compares with an increase of 3.5 per cent in regional Victoria, 4.5 per cent in regional Queensland, 7.3 per cent in regional South Australia and 6.1 per cent in regional Western Australia.
What these figures also indicate however, is that across the rest of the country’s regional areas, demand for labour continues to grow, and that restrictions on labour mobility are exacerbating labour shortages
Driving record job vacancies is demand for skilled labour. Demand for professionals accounted for the largest share – around one quarter – of all regional job vacancies in 2021 thus far. Technical and trades workers were the next most sort-after type of worker, accounting for 16 per cent of all regional job vacancies thus far in 2021.
The five regions with the biggest jumps in vacancies between June and July 2021 were:
- Fleurieu Peninsula & Murray Mallee in SA with 10% more vacancies in July 2021 (754) than in June 2021 (684)
- Outback Queensland up by 10% (551 compared to 503)
- Pilbara & Kimberley up by 7% (2,078 compared to 1941)
- Toowoomba and South West Queensland up by 7% (1,995 compared with 1,866)
- Dubbo & Western NSW up by 7% (1,763 compared with 1,652)
The five regions with the biggest jumps in vacancies over the year to date are:
- Dubbo & Western NSW up by 45%
- Darwin up by 42%
- Blue Mountains, Bathurst & Central West NSW up by 40%
- Ballarat & Central Highlands in Victoria up by 37%
