The jobs market is reawakening.
The latest Bureau of Statistics figures show that even though Australia's unemployment rate remains at its highest for twelve years, the number of vacancies on offer is steadily climbing.
The bureau finds employers had 152,400 vacancies on offer in November, up from 140,900 one year previously. The bureau's measure is more reliable than those that count job advertisements because it includes all vacancies on offer, whether or not they are advertised.
NSW is by far the most promising state on Australia's east coast, offering 44,800 jobs for a total of 228,500 job seekers, meaning there 5.1 NSW residents unemployed for each vacancy.
Victoria is the least promising state with 33,300 vacant jobs on offer for 213,600 job seekers, meaning there are 6.4 unemployed Victorians for each vacancy...
The Australian Capital Territory appears to be promising with 5.1 unemployed residents competing for each vacant job, but the ACT figures are distorted because many ACT job seekers live outside the territory.
The Queensland market is almost as tough as Victoria's with 6.1 unemployed locals for each vacant job, significantly worse than 4.8 a year earlier.
Western Australia remains the best state in which to search for a job, with just 3.1 unemployed locals for each vacancy. In the Northern Territory the number of vacancies slightly exceeds the number of residents who say they are unemployed.
The resurgence in job vacancies is led by the professional and scientific industries (up 4100 in the past year) and by manufacturing (up 3500). Vacancies in the mining industry slipped a further 900. At its peak three years ago the mining industry had 10,300 vacant jobs. It now has 3800.
Although at a two-year high, the number of vacant jobs is well down on the peak of 190,000 reached in February 2011 before the jobs market turned down. The unemployment figures for December will be released on Thursday.
In The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
How many unemployed per vacant job?
Unemployed per vacancy
November 2014 (November 2012)
NSW 5.1 (4.9)
Victoria 6.4 (6.1)
Queensland 6.1 (6.1)
South Australia 6.7 (6.5)
Western Australia 3.1 (3.1)
Tasmania 7.9 (8.5)
Northern Territory 0.9 (0.9)
Australian Capital Territory 5.1 (5.1)
Australia 5.1 (5.1)
ABS 6354.0, ABS 6202.0 (trend)
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