The June Recruitment Insights Report with the latest Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS) data is now available. The latest data shows that recruitment conditions softened over the month with recruitment activity, recruitment difficulty and expectations to increase staff all easing.
Recruitment activity fell by 2 percentage points, with 49% of employers recruiting – 10 percentage points lower than the peaks recorded around this time last year (the series peaked at 59% in May and July 2022).
Both regional and city employers recruited less in June, but employers in regional areas continued to recruit more frequently than their capital city counterparts (54% compared to 46%).
There was a 3 percentage point decrease in the proportion of employers expecting to increase staffing levels in the next three months, now at 21% of surveyed employers. This decrease was evident across all capital cities and in the regions.
In a positive sign, recruitment difficulty decreased over the month, by 4 percentage points to 63% of all recruiting employers in June 2023 (representing 30% of all employers, down from 34% in May).
Recruitment difficulty fell in capital cities, by 3 percentage points to 62% of recruiting employers over the month; while regional employers reported a 5 percentage point decrease, to 64%.
REOS quarterly findings
Detailed quarterly data available from the survey confirms reduced recruitment activity across all states in the June quarter 2023. The highest decreases over the quarter were recorded in New South Wales (falling by 9 percentage points) and Tasmania (falling by 7 percentage points).
In contrast with the monthly results, quarterly survey data show recruitment difficulty rising over the last quarter, reminding us that we should not place too much emphasis on month-to-month survey movements.
Over the quarter, recruitment difficulty rose in all states (except for WA). The next few survey releases will provide us with more clarity about employers’ recruitment difficulty.
