Metro Vacancies Peter Out
As we enter the final stages of 2022, demand for labour in regions hasn’t let up – a new record of some 94,100 regional jobs were advertised online in October. This latest number of vacancies is 1.3 per cent more than in September, and 26.6 per cent higher than a year earlier. This profile of growth in region Australia contrasts with the situation in metro Australia, where job ads started to peter out at current levels in early-mid 2022.
Regional Australia job vacancies
Source: National Skills Commission, Regional Australia Institute
In the month of October, demand for labour was greatest in regional Queensland (some 28,100 ads) followed by regional New South Wales (27,200 ads) and regional Victoria (14,200 ads). Not only has regional Queensland (in aggregate) recorded the largest volume of ads, the Sunshine State has also seen the largest growth in job ads, in both monthly and annual terms (up by 2.1 per cent and 32.7 per cent, respectively).
The monthly increase in job ads wasn’t universal across the country. Some states’ regions (in aggregate) saw modest if not marginal declines during the month – regional WA (-1.5 per cent), Tasmania (-1.0 per cent) and regional SA (-0.2 per cent).
Compared with a year earlier, however, job ads are substantially higher in all regions, with one exception. The annual growth in vacancies in the various regions is in the double digits, ranging from just less than 10 per cent to 40 per cent. The only region where there were fewer vacancies in October 2022 than in October 2021 is Dubbo and Western NSW (down by 16.0 per cent).
The five regions that recorded the largest monthly increases in vacancies in October 2022 are:
- Yorke Peninsula & Clare Valley in SA with 8.5 % more vacancies in October 2022 (365) than in August 2022 (336)
- Ballarat & Central Hihglands in VIC up by 7.1% (1,455 compared to 1,359)
- Toowoomba & South West QLD up by 4.6% (2,882 compared to 2,756)
- Central QLD up by 3.6% (4,614 compared to 4,456)
- Wimmera & Western VIC up by 3.0% (1,301 compared to 1,263)
The five regions with the largest annual increases in vacancies between October 2021 and October 2022 are:
- Yorke Peninsula & Clare Valley in SA up by 43.0%
- Gosford & Central Coast in NSW up by 42.3%
- Geelong & Surf Coast in VIC up by 39.7%
- Central QLD up by 38.3%
- Blue Mountains, Bathurst & Central West NSW up by 36.8%
In terms of the occupations being demanded, the most vacancies are for Professional roles (25% of all vacancies in October), followed by Technicians and Trades roles (15%), Community and Personal Service roles (14%), and Clerical and Administrative roles (13%).