Last month, online job ads in Australia dropped by 2.3%, or about 5,300 jobs, in seasonally adjusted terms. This continues a trend of falling job ads over the past year. However, despite this recent decline, the number of online job ads is still about 30% higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the job market.
Most states and territories saw fewer job ads, as did major occupation and skill level groups. The strongest drop was in the Australian Capital Territory, followed by Victoria. Community and Personal Service Workers and Skill Level 3 jobs also saw the strongest declines.
Both capital cities and regional areas had a similar rate of job ad decreases over the year, with each seeing a drop of more than 15%. This shows that job market challenges are happening everywhere, not just in big cities.
Bumper to Bumper: Growing demand for Panelbeaters amid declining workforce capacity
Amid these job ad declines, Australia’s automotive sector is seeing an interesting trend. The move to low-emission vehicles is changing the industry, bringing both growth and challenges. One area that stands out is the high demand for Panelbeaters, even as the number of workers in the field has dropped.
Job ads for automotive trades, including Panelbeaters, remain strong, but fewer people are working in these jobs. This shortage has led to longer wait times for car repairs and has allowed Panelbeaters to negotiate better pay due to their skills being in high demand.
As the industry keeps changing, the demand for skilled Panelbeaters shows that Australia needs to address workforce shortages in key areas to support continued growth and recovery after the pandemic.
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For direct queries email us at JSA-Nowcasting@jobsandskills.gov.au
