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
February 2023
Released
30/03/2023

Key statistics

Seasonally adjusted estimates for February 2023:

  • Total job vacancies were 438,500, a decrease of 1.5% from November 2022.
  • Private sector vacancies were 391,800, a decrease of 1.5% from November 2022.
  • Public sector vacancies were 46,700, a decrease of 1.4% from November 2022.
Job vacancies, public and private sector, seasonally adjusted
 Feb-2023Quarterly ChangeAnnual Change
'000%%
Private sector391.8-1.51.7
Public sector46.7-1.423.4
Private and public sectors438.5-1.53.6

Survey impacts and changes

Reinstating trend estimates

Since the May 2020 Job Vacancies release, the ABS has used a ‘forward factors’ method for seasonal adjustment, which is better suited to managing time series during the pandemic. The ABS also suspended trend series.

The ABS is expecting to reinstate Job Vacancies trend estimates and revert to ‘concurrent’ seasonal adjustment with the May 2023 release. 

Other measures of labour demand

Job vacancies over time

Job vacancies decreased by 1.5% (6,600 vacancies) in the three months to February 2023 (seasonally adjusted). The decline in job vacancies this quarter was driven by Retail trade. Despite this being the third consecutive quarterly decrease, the level of job vacancies in February 2023 remained elevated. Job vacancies were 92.4% 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 most industries.

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

Businesses reporting vacancies

The number of businesses reporting at least one vacancy shows the extent of the acute reduction in labour demand in May 2020, as well as the subsequent change since then. In February 2020, just prior to the main effects of COVID-19, the proportion of businesses reporting at least one vacancy was 11.0%. In May 2020, a much lower proportion of businesses reported at least one vacancy (6.5%). By November 2022, this had increased to 27.7%. In February 2023, in line with the decrease in the number of vacancies, the proportion of businesses reporting at least one vacancy also decreased to 24.3%. 

Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, states and territories (%)
 Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23
New South Wales19.622.919.422.324.226.228.928.027.4
Victoria18.022.018.821.222.927.327.129.225.4
Queensland17.422.626.920.026.022.826.728.322.6
South Australia15.715.613.114.717.617.319.718.416.0
Western Australia16.321.721.519.522.428.325.229.421.6
Tasmania17.821.815.118.519.219.114.022.015.6
Northern Territory21.826.520.823.127.831.636.535.626.4
Australian Capital Territory12.113.89.413.416.613.715.513.716.0
Australia18.122.020.320.723.525.226.727.724.3
Proportion of businesses reporting vacancies, industry (%)
 Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23
Mining21.111.018.117.127.824.819.327.126.0
Manufacturing15.315.122.924.929.622.325.923.826.8
Electricity, gas, water and waste services13.912.89.921.339.234.513.131.025.2
Construction22.826.923.321.524.330.328.528.524.2
Wholesale trade15.223.622.320.529.516.826.119.923.4
Retail trade16.421.621.415.916.617.723.831.523.0
Accommodation and food services30.530.518.330.932.434.042.545.341.7
Transport, postal and warehousing20.222.015.717.322.422.625.821.516.6
Information media and telecommunications18.320.015.915.519.826.720.429.021.4
Financial and insurance services16.920.510.35.514.820.08.221.77.4
Rental, hiring and real estate services11.116.919.315.120.125.227.326.113.9
Professional, scientific and technical services14.516.415.416.617.618.019.424.819.6
Administrative and support services17.123.629.830.536.238.332.836.826.7
Public administration and safety30.042.229.827.533.537.937.435.043.3
Education and training8.611.59.79.19.914.68.37.728.9
Health care and social assistance13.423.321.226.718.926.733.417.530.8
Arts and recreation services3.114.09.36.78.310.24.79.318.6
Other services21.122.828.125.432.732.734.436.725.3
All industries18.122.020.320.723.525.226.727.724.3
Reasons for vacancies (%)
 Feb-21May-21Aug-21Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23
Replacement/resignations76.276.075.177.479.780.478.277.179.6
Increased workload44.545.442.345.947.847.045.444.044.0
Expansion of business25.426.825.325.725.927.827.825.626.7
Restructure14.014.315.713.813.914.413.212.813.7
Relocation0.80.70.80.51.00.70.90.91.1
Seasonal10.110.011.419.012.011.614.118.112.3
Special event2.12.12.52.42.11.91.82.21.8
Takeover1.01.41.41.62.01.01.51.82.0
Other8.810.311.812.012.98.67.16.49.8

Businesses may have multiple reasons for reporting job vacancies
Proportions are of businesses that reported at least one vacancy

States and territories

Change in job vacancies, states and territories (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
adjusted)
Change from previous quarter
Nov-2127.030.4-0.431.916.917.31.523.920.120.1
Feb-227.5-4.09.43.19.27.636.615.95.56.2
May-2211.618.02.20.0-1.92.8-8.77.58.013.5
Aug-223.95.49.13.1-6.8-16.6-1.3-2.93.0-2.9
Nov-22-11.8-7.0-0.10.41.912.8-1.72.0-5.2-4.6
Feb-239.0-5.9-0.8-9.4-14.88.4-8.4-5.8-1.8-1.5
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-2118.510.039.665.644.866.068.022.826.826.7
Feb-2238.355.143.626.566.329.576.440.446.746.5
Feb-2311.58.810.5-6.2-20.64.8-18.90.33.73.6

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated

Private sector

Change in job vacancies, private sector (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
adjusted)
Change from previous quarter
Nov-2130.331.8-2.034.417.416.03.626.121.121.0
Feb-226.9-3.99.14.89.915.137.410.55.45.9
May-2211.418.21.90.3-2.72.7-12.33.47.714.0
Aug-223.05.08.92.1-7.0-18.11.5-14.52.3-4.0
Nov-22-13.7-7.4-1.0-0.41.312.1-2.87.8-6.1-5.7
Feb-2310.8-7.8-0.4-11.2-14.19.2-8.72.7-1.6-1.5
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-2120.410.841.073.445.075.484.522.128.528.5
Feb-2238.257.644.126.170.328.088.241.047.947.9
Feb-239.66.09.5-9.4-21.33.0-21.1-2.11.81.7

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated

Public sector

Change in job vacancies, public sector (%)
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACTAustraliaAustralia
(Seasonally
adjusted)
Change from previous quarter
Nov-21-1.216.123.716.59.524.4-8.316.910.412.2
Feb-2215.2-4.612.1-9.1-0.5-30.431.934.66.49.1
May-2214.315.45.4-2.211.43.811.219.211.78.5
Aug-2213.310.511.411.3-4.4-3.9-13.526.010.28.8
Nov-226.6-3.010.06.810.917.54.0-7.84.16.0
Feb-23-4.814.7-5.74.3-23.62.7-7.2-22.7-3.5-1.4
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year
Feb-211.43.025.419.242.39.925.424.812.812.7
Feb-2240.230.737.830.721.144.431.638.634.434.3
Feb-2331.541.921.821.2-9.720.4-7.17.123.623.4

Data refers to original series unless otherwise stated

Industry

Job vacancies, industry, original ('000)
 Nov-21Feb-22May-22Aug-22Nov-22Feb-23
Mining9.710.611.210.69.810.6
Manufacturing29.530.628.928.325.925.1
Electricity, gas, water and waste services3.54.04.24.44.54.5
Construction30.035.239.933.529.931.2
Wholesale trade16.721.719.220.516.616.5
Retail trade36.029.140.346.149.936.4
Accommodation and food services45.846.151.959.156.357.8
Transport, postal and warehousing13.314.715.217.715.414.6
Information media and telecommunications4.74.55.35.44.33.6
Financial and insurance services17.018.120.218.616.814.9
Rental, hiring and real estate services8.59.39.710.19.45.9
Professional, scientific and technical services37.142.142.944.140.847.6
Administrative and support services39.940.638.238.041.338.4
Public administration and safety18.921.524.127.530.126.4
Education and training10.211.612.711.211.113.5
Health care and social assistance60.260.268.974.362.772.4
Arts and recreation services7.46.27.26.67.86.6
Other services16.120.721.118.818.016.5

Data Downloads

Trend estimates suspension

Trend estimates have been suspended from May 2020 for all job vacancies series due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market.

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6354.0.

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