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
May 2024
Released
27/06/2024

Key statistics

Seasonally adjusted estimates for May 2024:

  • Total job vacancies were 352,600, a decrease of 2.7% from February 2024.
  • Private sector vacancies were 313,500, a decrease of 2.7% from February 2024.
  • Public sector vacancies were 39,100, a decrease of 2.5% from February 2024.
Job vacancies, public and private sector
  May-2024 ('000)Quarterly change (%)Yearly change (%)
TrendPrivate sector313.8-3.4-16.5
Public sector39.0-3.7-15.7
Private and public sectors352.7-3.4-16.4
Seasonally AdjustedPrivate sector313.5-2.7-17.8
Public sector39.1-2.5-16.5
Private and public sectors352.6-2.7-17.7
OriginalPrivate sector302.1-6.7-17.8
Public sector39.31.0-16.5
Private and public sectors341.5-5.9-17.7

Survey impacts and changes

Other measures of labour demand

Additional estimates produced during the COVID-19 period ceased

Job vacancies over time

Job vacancies decreased by 2.7% (9,800 vacancies) in the three months to May 2024 (seasonally adjusted). Despite this being the eighth consecutive quarterly decrease, the level of job vacancies in May 2024 remained elevated. Job vacancies were 54.8% higher than they were in February 2020, prior to the start of the pandemic. The ongoing high level of vacancies reflected the continuing labour shortages in many industries.

The Job Vacancies Survey was suspended between August 2008 to August 2009 (inclusive). 

States and territories

Change in job vacancies, states and territories (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia (Seasonally adjusted)Australia (Trend)
Change from previous quarter
Feb-239.0-5.9-0.8-9.4-14.88.4-8.4-5.8-1.8-2.5-2.8
May-23-11.7-5.1-9.38.74.0-7.6-8.3-1.1-6.2-2.9-4.5
Aug-23-4.5-5.23.8-1.0-4.3-4.7-4.8-8.4-3.0-8.8-5.1
Nov-23-2.3-4.7-2.2-2.8-5.8-3.6-13.9-17.2-3.9-1.0-4.8
Feb-24-10.0-3.6-11.18.0-3.34.7-7.41.0-6.1-6.2-4.1
May-24-3.8-4.4-3.7-17.3-12.3-6.615.2-5.0-5.9-2.7-3.4
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
May-2228.737.116.914.641.116.553.340.829.729.644.1
May-23-11.7-12.5-2.02.0-15.8-5.8-18.5-7.7-10.0-10.1-5.0
May-24-19.2-16.8-13.1-14.0-23.5-10.1-12.6-27.2-17.7-17.7-16.4

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated
 

Private sector

Change in job vacancies, private sector (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia (Seasonally adjusted)Australia (Trend)
Change from previous quarter
Feb-2310.8-7.8-0.4-11.2-14.19.2-8.72.7-1.6-2.8-3.2
May-23-13.3-7.4-8.69.43.3-9.6-13.32.4-7.3-3.2-4.8
Aug-23-3.3-4.63.6-0.4-5.0-4.3-7.6-9.0-2.6-9.1-5.3
Nov-23-3.1-3.3-3.1-3.6-6.0-4.6-14.1-23.9-4.2-0.8-4.8
Feb-24-9.1-3.7-12.111.5-1.94.5-8.77.1-5.7-6.3-4.1
May-24-4.7-4.4-4.0-19.9-13.9-9.023.5-8.4-6.7-2.7-3.4
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
May-2228.736.915.017.040.814.751.232.029.129.144.6
May-23-14.7-17.0-1.8-1.2-16.4-9.4-21.9-3.1-12.4-12.4-6.7
May-24-18.8-15.1-15.3-14.3-24.6-13.2-10.6-32.1-17.8-17.8-16.5

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated
 

Public sector

Change in job vacancies, public sector (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia (Seasonally adjusted)Australia (Trend)
Change from previous quarter
Feb-23-4.814.7-5.74.3-23.62.7-7.2-22.7-3.50.41.0
May-232.914.7-17.14.614.47.414.7-10.13.1-0.3-2.0
Aug-23-12.6-9.45.3-5.54.1-6.84.8-6.7-6.5-6.4-3.9
Nov-234.1-15.28.63.1-2.32.9-13.52.5-1.8-2.8-4.7
Feb-24-17.0-2.8-1.6-14.3-18.95.9-3.1-12.3-9.9-5.9-4.4
May-243.4-4.8-0.74.89.47.2-8.64.21.0-2.5-3.7
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
May-2227.839.944.1-2.746.033.962.968.536.035.939.8
May-2318.441.0-4.229.6-7.324.5-4.3-19.214.114.211.3
May-24-21.9-28.911.8-12.5-9.99.0-19.7-12.6-16.5-16.5-15.7

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated
 

Industry

Job vacancies, industry, original ('000)
 Feb-23May-23Aug-23Nov-23Feb-24May-24
Mining10.611.711.411.510.78.5
Manufacturing25.122.625.123.423.316.4
Electricity, gas, water and waste services4.54.94.94.84.64.5
Construction31.233.128.828.527.924.9
Wholesale trade16.515.315.514.016.211.2
Retail trade36.432.238.537.232.128.4
Accommodation and food services57.842.541.438.835.138.3
Transport, postal and warehousing14.613.412.111.510.18.7
Information media and telecommunications3.63.83.53.43.63.5
Financial and insurance services14.913.411.310.011.710.9
Rental, hiring and real estate services5.95.55.54.85.85.7
Professional, scientific and technical services47.644.742.541.434.640.1
Administrative and support services38.437.533.231.530.026.0
Public administration and safety26.422.923.623.819.021.9
Education and training13.515.915.513.615.612.3
Health care and social assistance72.472.968.167.565.061.8
Arts and recreation services6.66.57.37.34.94.8
Other services16.516.114.213.512.613.6

Data Downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.

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