Seeking a job this year? Job ads are on the up in 2017

2017 is off to a rising start for job advertisements and there’s one industry with more vacancies for those seeking to trade in their career

Megan Riley ditched art school to work as an automotive refinishing technician at Pymble Accident Repair Centre. Picture: Bob Barker

TRADESPEOPLE are the workers most in demand with automotive mechanics and technicians, hairdressers, beauty therapists and electricians the staff most in demand.

The number of trade job advertisements are up 14 per cent nationally in January compared to the same month last year.

SEEK’s January Employment Report found South Australia had the biggest total growth in job advertisements of any state, recording 25 per cent more ads in January 2017 than in January, 2016.

SEEK Australia and New Zealand managing director Michael Ilczynski said overall 7 per cent more jobs were advertised last month compared to 12 months ago, with Queensland and Victoria also showing growth.

“Queensland job ads were up 8 per cent year on year this January; fuelling the growth was trades and services (up 21 per cent), healthcare and medical (up 10 per cent) and hospitality and tourism (up 7 per cent),” he said.

“South Australia continued to have the largest year-on-year advertising growth of all the states and territories this January, with job ads on SEEK up 25.4 per cent year-on-year, with the most job opportunities coming from the trades and services sector, up 48 per cent year-on-year.

Here's 5 lessons you can learn from a job you hate to help you find a job you love. https://t.co/2f8UZ26wxL

— SEEK (@seekjobs) February 17, 2017

“In NSW and Victoria, Australia’s largest labour markets, advertising on SEEK was up 4.9 per cent year-on-year and 8.6 per cent year-on-year respectively this January when compared to the same period last year.”

Job ads in Tasmania were up 8.9 per cent, ACT by 7.7 per cent and NT 0.8 per cent this January compared to the same month last year.

An upturn in advertising in Western Australia also occurred in January, where ads picked up in the mining, resources and energy industry, helping an overall increase of 0.8 per cent compared to 2016.

Megan Riley works as an automotive refinishing technician and recommends people who cannot sit still at a desk all day to consider doing a trade, with many opportunities available.

“I could move basically wherever I want and get a spray-painting job there,” she said.

“There is not a lot of spray painters and even less in panelbeating.”

* Place a job ad in the paper and you get a listing on SEEK as well, from only $389. To book visit newsjobs.com.au or call 1300 555 627

Originally published as Seeking a job this year? Job ads are on the up in 2017