- There were almost 400,000 job vacancies in November, 169,000 more than the start of the pandemic according to the ABS
- Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, says job vacancies continue to reach new record highs through the pandemic
- According to the ABS, the 19 per cent increase over the quarter coincided with the easing of lockdown and restrictions in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT
- “The percentage of businesses reporting at least one vacancy rose from 20 per cent in August 2021 to 21 per cent in November 2021,” Mr Jarvis says
There were almost 400,000 job vacancies in November, 169,000 more than the start of the pandemic according to seasonally adjusted data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
“Job vacancies continue to reach new record highs through the pandemic. The number of job vacancies in November was around 74 per cent higher than it was before the start of the pandemic,” ABS Head of Labour Statistics Bjorn Jarvis said.
“These figures continue to show the high demand for workers from businesses emerging from lockdowns, together with ongoing labour shortages, particularly in lower-paying industries.”
Mr Jarvis said arts and recreation were particularly pronounced, with 271 per cent more vacancies than in February last year and accommodation and food services were 211 per cent higher in the same period.
Even the administration and support services sector that saw the smallest change by industry had a 28 per cent increase in job vacancies.
“Job vacancies were also elevated in all states and territories, ranging between Western Australia, where job vacancies were 120 per cent higher than before the pandemic, and 49 per cent in the Australian Capital Territory,” Mr Jarvis said.
According to the ABS, the 19 per cent increase over the quarter coincided with the easing of lockdown and restrictions in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
“The percentage of businesses reporting at least one vacancy rose from 20 per cent in August 2021 to 21 per cent in November 2021,” Mr Jarvis said.
“This was only slightly below May 2021 (22 per cent) and much higher than February 2020 (11 per cent). Many businesses continued to report difficulties in filling their vacancies.”