| Aug 2020 ('000) | May 2020 to August 2020 (% change) | August 2019 to August 2020 (% change) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private sector | 184.1 | 65.4 | -8.2 |
| Public sector | 21.9 | 22.0 | -7.2 |
| Private and public sectors | 206.0 | 59.4 | -8.1 |
Job Vacancies, Australia
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Results of the quarterly Job Vacancies Survey containing estimates of job vacancies classified by industry, sector and state/territory.
Reference period
August 2020
Released
1/10/2020
Key statistics
Seasonally adjusted estimates
- Total job vacancies in August 2020 were 206,000, an increase of 59.4% from May 2020.
- In the private sector vacancies were 184,100 in August 2020, an increase of 65.4% from May 2020.
- In the public sector vacancies were 21,900 in August 2020, an increase of 22.0% from May 2020.
Survey Impacts
Continued suspension of trend estimates
Given the extent of change in the Job Vacancies time series, the ABS temporarily suspended trend series and moved to using forward factors for seasonal adjustment for a range of series, including some job vacancies estimates. For more information, please refer to: Spotlight: Job Vacancies Survey Methods During COVID-19.
Survey responses remain high in August
Responses for the Job Vacancies Survey August 2020 quarter remained high, with similar levels of responses to previous quarters. The ABS would like to thank the Australian business community for their continued support in responding to our surveys during such a difficult time, given how critically important this information is.
Comparing job vacancies with other measures of labour demand
In addition to Job Vacancies, there are a number of non-ABS measures that measure labour demand using alternative concepts, sources and methods. These are also widely used as leading indicators of employment. Prominent examples include the ANZ Job Advertisement Series, the SEEK Employment Report, and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment's Internet Vacancy Index.
Measures of job vacancies and job advertisements will differ for a number of reasons. One of the key differences is that job vacancies includes jobs for which job advertisements are undertaken but also include jobs where other recruitment approaches are exclusively used, such as word of mouth or social media. According to the National Skills Commission's Survey of Employer's Recruitment Experience, 19 per cent of jobs are not advertised (i.e. recruitment is done through word of mouth alone or by considering people who approach the business). For further details on recruitment practices, please see the Survey of Employer's Recruitment Experiences 2019 Data Report.
Furthermore, job vacancies count every position advertised within a single notice, while some job advertisements may be used to fill multiple positions.
COVID-19 impacts on job vacancies
Job vacancies increased by 59.4% (76,800 vacancies) in the three months to August 2020 (seasonally adjusted). This follows the largest fall in job vacancies in the history of the series, a reflection of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions on people and businesses.
All states and territories recorded increases in job vacancies in August 2020 compared with May 2020. The two biggest states, New South Wales and Victoria, were still well below the pre pandemic levels of vacancies in February 2020, as was the Australian Capital Territory. However, vacancies in many states surged in the August 2020 quarter to higher levels than those seen in February 2020, as restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 were progressively eased in parts of the economy.
The chart below shows the annual percentage change in job vacancies by industry. Services industries that were exposed to social distancing restrictions continued to show lower levels of vacancies, compared with pre-COVID conditions. Arts and recreation services continued to be particularly low, reflecting the closures of venues such as casinos, theatres, fitness centres, sporting grounds and zoos, and cancellations of a range of public events due to social distancing requirements.
While not a regular output from the survey, a measure of the number of businesses reporting any vacancies also shows the extent of the acute reduction in labour demand in May 2020, as well as the recovery in August 2020. In May 2020, a much lower proportion of businesses reported having at least one vacancy (6.5%) compared with May 2019 (11.9%). In August 2020, this had increased to 12.1% of businesses compared with 14.0% in the previous August.
| Aug 2020 | May 2020 | Aug 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining | 16.1% | 8.3% | 11.0% |
| Manufacturing | 14.0% | 4.4% | 11.1% |
| Electricity, gas, water and waste services | 21.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| Construction | 12.0% | 4.6% | 14.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 14.0% | 14.1% | 14.7% |
| Retail trade | 9.9% | 9.7% | 16.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 13.9% | 2.3% | 16.1% |
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 10.7% | 4.1% | 2.1% |
| Information media and telecommunications | 5.2% | 7.0% | 5.6% |
| Financial and insurance services | 6.6% | 5.0% | 12.8% |
| Rental, hiring and real estate services | 11.8% | 4.1% | 10.2% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 14.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| Administrative and support services | 16.2% | 7.8% | 31.6% |
| Public administration and safety | 27.9% | 22.6% | 31.5% |
| Education and training | 10.8% | 4.0% | 11.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 8.9% | 6.5% | 13.6% |
| Arts and recreation services | 2.1% | 0.5% | 5.4% |
| Other services | 11.1% | 5.6% | 16.1% |
| All Industries | 12.1% | 6.5% | 14.0% |
| Aug 2020 | May 2020 | Aug 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 11.6% | 5.8% | 15.1% |
| Victoria | 11.5% | 6.0% | 13.8% |
| Queensland | 13.7% | 10.5% | 13.7% |
| South Australia | 8.8% | 2.9% | 11.2% |
| Western Australia | 15.6% | 5.5% | 11.7% |
| Tasmania | 10.7% | 4.5% | 14.7% |
| Northern Territory | 20.7% | 6.7% | 23.7% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 4.7% | 3.5% | 10.4% |
| Australia | 12.1% | 6.5% | 14.0% |
1. Job vacancies, states and territories
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May-19 | 77.2 | 60.1 | 33.2 | 11.2 | 23.2 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 219.1 | 228.0 | nca |
| Aug-19 | 72.8 | 61.2 | 39.1 | 11.3 | 26.4 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 7.6 | 226.3 | 224.0 | nca |
| Nov-19 | 80.2 | 60.1 | 39.2 | 11.4 | 25.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 7.7 | 231.4 | 227.1 | nca |
| Feb-20 | 79.3 | 59.7 | 38.4 | 11.7 | 27.6 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 6.6 | 229.5 | 227.3 | nca |
| May-20 | 39.8 | 28.7 | 25.2 | 6.8 | 16.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 124.5 | 129.2 | nca |
| Aug-20 | 62.2 | 45.8 | 42.1 | 12.5 | 32.2 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 208.0 | 206.0 | nca |
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May-19 | -8.1 | -6.3 | -9.3 | 19.5 | -15.3 | 10.5 | 15.7 | 1.3 | -6.7 | -1.8 | nca |
| Aug-19 | -5.6 | 1.8 | 17.9 | 1.2 | 13.6 | 11.3 | 3.1 | 12.2 | 3.3 | -1.7 | nca |
| Nov-19 | 10.1 | -1.7 | 0.2 | 0.4 | -2.6 | -0.7 | -19.5 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | nca |
| Feb-20 | -1.1 | -0.8 | -2.0 | 2.7 | 7.3 | -5.7 | -17.8 | -13.8 | -0.8 | 0.1 | nca |
| May-20 | -49.9 | -51.9 | -34.3 | -41.6 | -39.1 | -45.7 | -39.7 | -46.2 | -45.8 | -43.1 | nca |
| Aug-20 | 56.4 | 59.5 | 67.0 | 83.2 | 91.4 | 84.7 | 146.3 | 57.2 | 67.1 | 59.4 | nca |
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug-18 | 6.1 | 21.6 | -0.9 | 29.1 | 41.2 | 20.5 | -1.2 | 16.9 | 13.6 | 13.8 | nca |
| Aug-19 | -8.5 | -7.6 | 12.8 | -3.5 | 2.1 | 20.3 | 20.6 | 12.5 | -2.2 | -2 | nca |
| Aug-20 | -14.6 | -25.2 | 7.8 | 10.2 | 21.9 | -6.1 | -1.8 | -25.6 | -8.1 | -8.1 | nca |
All figures are original unless stated otherwise
nca not currently available due to break in series
2. Job vacancies, private sector, states and territories
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May-19 | 69.6 | 54.6 | 30.1 | 9.6 | 21.7 | 2.7 | *3.6 | 4.8 | 196.8 | 205.8 | nca |
| Aug-19 | 65.3 | 55.9 | 35.3 | 9.5 | 24.5 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 202.3 | 200.5 | nca |
| Nov-19 | 72.2 | 54.9 | 35.5 | 9.5 | 23.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 206.7 | 202.7 | nca |
| Feb-20 | 71.4 | 53.7 | 34.9 | 10.0 | 25.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 4.9 | 205.1 | 202.1 | nca |
| May-20 | 33.4 | 24.3 | 22.9 | 5.2 | 15.4 | *1.6 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 106.5 | 111.3 | nca |
| Aug-20 | 55.0 | 40.6 | 39.2 | 10.6 | 30.2 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 185.7 | 184.1 | nca |
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May-19 | -10.0 | -7.3 | -10.8 | 22.3 | -15.9 | 9.5 | 15.7 | 0.4 | -8.1 | -2.5 | nca |
| Aug-19 | -6.1 | 2.4 | 17.2 | -1.0 | 12.5 | 13.2 | 0.6 | 5.0 | 2.8 | -2.6 | nca |
| Nov-19 | 10.4 | -1.8 | 0.5 | -0.5 | -3.9 | -3.3 | -18.4 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | nca |
| Feb-20 | -1.1 | -2.2 | -1.8 | 5.6 | 7.9 | -0.6 | -31.1 | -6.2 | -0.7 | -0.3 | nca |
| May-20 | -53.2 | -54.8 | -34.3 | -48.1 | -39.2 | -46.6 | -39.0 | -48.8 | -48.1 | -44.9 | nca |
| Aug-20 | 64.5 | 67.4 | 71.1 | 104.7 | 95.7 | 82.0 | 186.8 | 46.2 | 74.3 | 65.4 | nca |
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug-18 | 8.2 | 22.8 | -1.7 | 26.9 | 42.0 | 15.3 | -1.6 | 25.0 | 14.6 | 14.8 | nca |
| Aug-19 | -11.0 | -7.1 | 11.3 | -8.0 | 2.4 | 25.1 | 14.3 | -2.9 | -3.8 | -3.6 | nca |
| Aug-20 | -15.9 | -27.3 | 11.0 | 11.7 | 23.3 | -6.5 | -1.7 | -27.4 | -8.2 | -8.2 | nca |
All figures are original unless stated otherwise.
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
nca not currently available due to break in series
3. Job vacancies, public sector, states and territories
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May-19 | 7.6 | 5.5 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 22.2 | 22.2 | nca |
| Aug-19 | 7.5 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.6 | *0.7 | 2.5 | 24.0 | 23.5 | nca |
| Nov-19 | 8.0 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 24.7 | 24.4 | nca |
| Feb-20 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 24.4 | 25.2 | nca |
| May-20 | 6.3 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.6 | *1.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 17.9 | 17.9 | nca |
| Aug-20 | 7.2 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.6 | *0.6 | 1.9 | 22.3 | 21.9 | nca |
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May-19 | 13.8 | 4.9 | 9.1 | 5.2 | -6.0 | 15.4 | 15.6 | 3.9 | 7.9 | 4.4 | nca |
| Aug-19 | -1.2 | -4.3 | 24.2 | 14.6 | 30.2 | 2.2 | 19.7 | 30.6 | 8.0 | 5.9 | nca |
| Nov-19 | 7.3 | -0.8 | -2.9 | 5.1 | 14.0 | 12.6 | -25.4 | -0.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | nca |
| Feb-20 | -1.0 | 14.4 | -3.6 | -12.1 | 0.3 | -27.7 | 63.0 | -30.0 | -1.2 | 3.3 | nca |
| May-20 | -20.2 | -26.1 | -34.3 | -2.7 | -37.1 | -40.8 | -41.5 | -38.8 | -26.5 | -28.9 | nca |
| Aug-20 | 14.0 | 16.1 | 26.4 | 14.3 | 43.8 | 99.1 | 37.8 | 83.5 | 24.6 | 22.0 | nca |
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Australia | Australia (Seasonally Adjusted) | Australia (Trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug-18 | -13.7 | 11.5 | 9.4 | 48.5 | 31.5 | 47.6 | 1.9 | -4.9 | 4.7 | 4.2 | nca |
| Aug-19 | 20.9 | -12.1 | 29.2 | 30.6 | -1.5 | 0.7 | 73.6 | 67.2 | 14.7 | 14.4 | nca |
| Aug-20 | -3.4 | -2.6 | -22.3 | 2.6 | 3.5 | -3.9 | -2.1 | -22.1 | -7.1 | -7.2 | nca |
All figures are original unless stated otherwise
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
nca not currently available due to break in series
4. Job vacancies, industry
| May-19 | Aug-19 | Nov-19 | Feb-20 | May-20 | Aug-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mining | 5.6 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 5.6 |
| Manufacturing | 11.5 | 11.6 | 10.9 | 12.2 | 7.0 | 13.5 |
| Electricity, gas, water and waste services | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Construction | 15.7 | 14.9 | 16.6 | 16.6 | 8.3 | 15.9 |
| Wholesale trade | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 12.6 | 6.5 | 9.9 |
| Retail trade | 19.0 | 22.1 | 24.8 | 18.9 | 11.4 | 18.5 |
| Accommodation and food services | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.7 | *5.0 | 13.5 |
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 6.6 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 3.3 | 5.5 |
| Information media and telecommunications | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Financial and insurance services | 11.4 | 12.1 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 7.8 | 12.3 |
| Rental, hiring and real estate services | 3.8 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 3.2 | *1.0 | *3.6 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 28.6 | 25.0 | 23.7 | 26.3 | 13.1 | 23.5 |
| Administrative and support services | 30.7 | 34.2 | 34.5 | 31.2 | 17.5 | 24.2 |
| Public administration and safety | 11.9 | 13.2 | 12.9 | 13.3 | 8.6 | 13.4 |
| Education and training | 7.1 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 3.6 | 6.4 |
| Health care and social assistance | 29.8 | 27.4 | 28.0 | 29.8 | 19.7 | 28.4 |
| Arts and recreation services | 2.4 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.0 | **0.1 | 1.2 |
| Other services | 7.2 | 9.0 | 11.4 | 9.4 | *3.6 | 8.3 |
All figures are original
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
Downloads
Time series spreadsheets
Data files
Table 1. Job vacancies, state and territories ('000)
Table 2. Job vacancies, private sector, state and territories ('000)
Table 3. Job vacancies, public sector, state and territories ('000)
Table 4. Job vacancies, industry, Australia ('000) - original
All time series
Previous catalogue number
This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.