Regional Labour Demand
In February 2023, regional job vacancies remained steady at 81,000, showing a slight 0.1 per cent increase on January 2023. This level is 11.2 per cent more than a year earlier – demand for labour in regions is still very high. In contrast, metro Australia experienced a nearly stagnant job market, with job ads increasing by a mere 0.3 per cent year-over-year.
The top growth spots are scattered around Northern Territory, Western Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria.
The majority of regions, except for two in Western Australia, reported an increase in advertised vacancies compared to the previous year. Annual growth across regions varied greatly, ranging from 0.1 per cent to around 25 per cent.
Regional Australia job vacancies
Source: National Skills Commission, Regional Australia Institute
The five regions that recorded the largest monthly increases in vacancies in February 2023 were:
- Regional Northern Territory up by 4.7% (858 compared to 819)
- Pilbara & Kimberley up by 3.9% (2,239 compared to 2,156)
- South West WA up by 3.3% (1,484 compared to 1,437)
- Launceston and Northeast Tasmania up by 3.3% (898 compared to 869)
- Ballarat & Central Highlands up by 3.2% (1,338 compared to 1,296)
The five regions with the biggest jumps in vacancies in February 2023 compared with February 2022 were:
- Blue Mountains, Bathurst & Central West NSW up by 25.4%
- Tamworth and North West NSW up by 23.4%
- Central Queensland up by 23.1%
- Port Augusta & Eyre Peninsula up by 22.3%
- Toowoomba and South West QLD up by 22.1%
In terms of the occupations being demanded, vacancies are largest for Professional roles (27%) of all vacancies in February, followed by Technicians and Trades roles (16%), Community and Personal Service roles (13%) and Clerical and Administrative Workers roles (13%).
SOURCES The Internet Vacancy Index is updated monthly by the Department of Education Skills, Employment and Business (https://labourmarketinsights.gov.au/our-research/internet-vacancy-index/). The RAI has an interactive Regional Job Vacancy map of the data showing vacancies in 37 regions across Australia (regionalaustralia.org.au/home/regional-jobs-vacancy-map).