Job listings bounce back as workers look to change careers

The most in-demand careers in the country have been revealed in a new report – with one state showing a huge increase in advertised roles.

Job postings have bounced back from a seven-month slump as one surprising state saw a huge increase in advertised roles.

A new report released by online job marketplace Seek on Friday showed national job ads in January had risen 2.8 per cent month-on-month – the first increase since May 2022.

The data shows jobs in the manufacturing, transport and logistics field led the growth with a 5.3 per cent rise nation wide, while Tasmania saw the largest increase in job ads of all Australian states and territories, growing by 8.5 per cent.

This was lead by a 33 per cent increase in postings in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The increase in roles available follows seven months of falling job vacancies across Australia.

In the past year job ads have fallen 8.1 per cent nationally, with the largest drops occurring in Victoria (13.8 per cent), the Australian Capital Territory (13.2 per cent) and Western Australia (11.9 per cent).

Only Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland have bucked the national trend with a rise in vacancies.

Job ads increased month-on-month in January for the first time since May 2022. Picture: Supplied.

SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks said the data showed Australians were beginning to make career moves, with an increase in applications per job ad in all industries except real estate and property.

“With all eyes on the global economy, and uncertainty around what 2023 will bring for Australians, hiring activity has stabilised in January and candidate activity continues to grow,” she said.

“While 2.8 per cent seems a small increase in volume after seven months of decline, job ad levels remain above pre-pandemic levels for the majority of industries.

“For our largest hiring industries by volume, for example, job ads remain over 55 per cent higher. More Australians have been taking the opportunity to investigate their career options.”

Ms Banks said Queensland was responsible for much of the national job ad growth, with rises in the hospitality, tourism, manufacturing, transport and IT industries.

SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks says Australians are making career moves.

Two of the biggest hiring industries, trades and services, and manufacturing, transport and logistics, continued to grow over the past month across Australia with the largest volume of job ads posted to SEEK.

Large increases were also seen in the consulting, design, human resources, accounting and sales industries.

Last week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed the nation’s economy has shed 11,500 jobs in January, with the official unemployment rate rising 0.2 per cent to 3.7 per cent.

ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis attributed the rise to January being the most seasonal time of the year for the labour market, with people changing jobs and returning from leave.

“This January, we saw more people than usual with a job indicating they were starting or returning to work later in the month,” he said.