Regional Labour Demand
Regional job vacancies remained unchanged at 76,000 in February 2024, with just a slight dip of 0.6 per cent from the previous month. This minor monthly decline in job ads largely reflects seasonal hiring patterns. The latest number of job ads is 6.3 per cent less than a year earlier. In contrast, metro areas experienced a greater annual drop, with job ads falling by 12.1 per cent.
Regional Australia job vacancies
Jobs and Skills Australia, monthly internet vacancies, RAI
The monthly changes in job vacancies were not uniform across regional Australia. Parts of Tasmania, Regional South Australia, and the Northern Territory all saw increases in vacancies.
The five regions that recorded the largest monthly increases in vacancies in February 2024 were:
- Launceston and Northeast Tasmania up by 9.5% (1,003 compared to 916)
- Hobart & Southeast Tasmania up by 5.5% (2,165 compared to 2,052)
- Port Augusta & Eyre Peninsula up by 4.0% (631 compared to 606)
- North West Tasmania up by 4.0% (762 compared to 733)
- Fleurieu Peninsula & Murray Mallee up by 3.7% (1,005 compared to 969)
The biggest monthly falls were in Outback Queensland, Goldfields & Southern WA, and Yorke Peninsula & Clare Valley SA.
The annual change in job vacancies across all regions varied significantly, ranging from a substantial increase of 18.4 per cent to a decrease of 18.8 per cent.
The five regions with the biggest jumps in vacancies in February 2024 compared with February 2023 were:
- Regional Northern Territory up by 18.4%
- Yorke Peninsula & Clare Valley up by 17.6%
- Hobart & Southeast Tasmania up by 15.9%
- Fleurieu Peninsula & Murray Mallee up by 12.4%
- Launceston and Northeast Tasmania up by 11.8%
The largest annual falls in regional Australia were in Tamworth and North West NSW, Ballarat & Central Highlands, and NSW North Coast.
In terms of the occupations being demanded, vacancies are largest for Professional roles (28%) of all vacancies in February, followed by Technicians and Trades roles (16%), Community and Personal Service roles (13%), and Clerical and Administrative roles (13%).
SOURCES The Internet Vacancy Index is updated monthly by Jobs and Skills Australia (https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/internet-vacancy-index). The RAI has an interactive Regional Job Vacancy map of the data showing vacancies in 37 regions across Australia (regionalaustralia.org.au/home/regional-jobs-vacancy-map).