Job ads in the Territory surge amid COVID recovery: SEEK

AMID the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, good news for out-of-work Territorians, with Seek claiming ads for job vacancies have surged

JOB ads in the Territory have surged to levels higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, vindicating strong efforts to keep the virus from taking hold in the NT.

New figures from the SEEK Employment Report show the number of open job ads in the Northern Territory was sitting at 108 per cent of the level pre-coronavirus, outperforming the national average.

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In the past two weeks, the national number of job ads was just 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels, dragged down by Victoria and New South Wales.

But the figures are still encouraging, with Seek Australia-New Zealand managing director Kendra Banks saying job ads across the country had surged in recent weeks.

SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks said economies without lockdowns recovered faster. Picture: Supplied

“October has continued the strong growth from September,” Ms Banks said.

“This is the highest national job ad figure since COVID began having an impact in March,” she said.

“Queensland has now joined Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania as states and territories that have more job ads than pre-COVID levels.”

Victoria’s position had also improved by a whopping 20 per cent in just four weeks.

“We have often talked about the close correlation between restrictions easing and more jobs advertised, and this is again evident,” Ms Banks said.

But the Northern Territory has been a consistent performer, placing in the top four jurisdictions for job ad volumes, staying roughly between 108 and 102 per cent of pre-COVID advertising levels, showing that its economy has rebounded strongly due to a lack of community transmission.

Mr Gunner had previously claimed that the NT would have the strongest economic comeback if it had the safest health response to the novel coronavirus.

“We are the safest place in Australia, and that’s in large part because of our Chief Health Officer and his team of health experts who have been the best,” Chief Minister Michael Gunner said on Wednesday.

The unemployment rate of the NT in September stood at 4.8 per cent, the second lowest figure in the country after the Australian Capital Territory.

The number of job ads is good news amid the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross

It comes as Senator Malarndirri McCarthy earlier this month claimed that the Territory had welcomed 4,500 new permanent residents since the beginning of the pandemic.