10 January 2018

ACT records the nation’s highest increase in job vacancies

| Glynis Quinlan
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The ACT has recorded the highest increase in job vacancies in Australia – with public sector jobs on their way back up and private sector opportunities also looking healthy.

The number of job vacancies in the ACT rose a substantial 15.2 per cent over the three months to November 2017 – a much higher percentage increase than recorded in any other state or territory.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data released today, employers were seeking to fill 7,200 jobs in the nation’s capital in November, including 5,300 private sector jobs and 1,900 public sector jobs.

And while nationally public sector job vacancies decreased by 7 per cent, in the ACT they increased by a noteworthy 21.1 per cent.

Only the Northern Territory saw a bigger increase, with public sector job vacancies there increasing by 45.7 per cent in the three months to November 2017. By contrast, public sector job vacancies declined by 25.1 per cent in Victoria in the same period.

This is the second quarter in a row that public sector job vacancies have increased in the ACT – perhaps marking a more hopeful job outlook for Canberra’s public servants after a period of declining job opportunities.

Private sector job vacancies in the ACT rose by 13.3 per cent between August and November 2017 – the biggest percentage increase for the quarter of any state or territory.

Nationally, the total number of job vacancies in November 2017 was 210,800, representing an increase of 2.7 per cent from August 2017 in seasonally adjusted terms.

The biggest numbers of job vacancies nationally are in administrative and support services, retail trade, and health care and social assistance.

Do you think there are sufficient jobs on offer for those looking for work in Canberra? Are there any particular work sectors where jobs are in short supply? Let us know your thoughts or experiences in the comments below.

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