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Introduction
Jobs and Skills Australia surveys at least 1,000 employers each month to find out about their experience when recruiting staff as well as whether they are expecting to increase staffing levels. This feedback provides insights about labour market conditions and helps in developing resources designed to help job seekers understand what employers are looking for.
Key indicators - November 2024
| Recruitment activity | Recruitment difficulty rate | Expect to increase staff |
|---|---|---|
|
43% |
50% |
18% |
| Monthly change: 1% pt Yearly change: -9% pts |
Monthly change: -2% pts Yearly change: -6% pts |
Monthly change: -1% pt Yearly change: -3% pts |
Recruitment activity
In November 2024, the recruitment rate increased by 1 percentage point from October 2024 to 43% of employers. This figure is 9 percentage points lower than a year ago (November 2023).
Over the month, the recruitment rate fell by 2 percentage points to 40% in the Capital Cities, compared with a rise of 8 percentage points to 50% in Rest of State areas.
The recruitment rate in both the Capital Cities and Rest of State areas currently stands 8 percentage points lower than a year ago.
Proportion of employers who were currently recruiting or who had recruited in the past month
Source: Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, November 2024.
Recruitment difficulty
The recruitment difficulty rate fell by 2 percentage points to 50% in November 2024. Recruitment difficulty is now 6 percentage points lower than it was a year ago and is 25 percentage points below the record high of 75% in July 2022.
While noting the recent month-to-month variability in results at the regional level, recruitment difficulty fell sharply over the month in Rest of State areas, down by 11 percentage points, to 44%. As a result of this sharp fall, the recruitment difficulty rate in the Capital Cities (54%, up by 4 percentage points over the month) now exceeds that recorded in Rest of State areas.
Compared to a year ago, recruitment difficulty is now 14 percentage points lower in Rest of State areas, while in the Capital Cities it remains at the same level.
Proportion of recruiting employers who had recruitment difficulty
Source: Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, November 2024.
Staffing outlook: employers expecting to increase staff
Over the month, the proportion of employers expecting to increase their staffing numbers in the next three months fell by 1 percentage point to 18% of employers in November 2024. This was 3 percentage points lower than a year ago.
This month, employers in both Capital Cities and Rest of State areas had similar staffing outlooks, with 18% of employers in Capital Cities and 19% in Rest of State areas expecting to increase their staffing levels in the next three months. While this figure remained unchanged over the month in Rest of State areas, it fell by 1 percentage point from last month in the Capital Cities areas.
Proportion of employers expecting to increase staffing levels over the next 3 months
Source: Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, November 2024.
Downloads
Recruitment Insights Report - monthly
REOS Recruitment Insights Report - November 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_-_november_2024.pdf638042
DownloadREOS Recruitment Insights Report - November 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_-_november_2024.docx388745
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - November 2024 data file
recruitment_insights_report_-_november_2024_data_file.xlsx104405
DownloadUpcoming release:
December 2024 REOS Recruitment Insights Report - 21 January 2025
Recruitment Insights Report - October 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_-_october_2024.pdf256775
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - September 2024
REOS Recruitment Insights Report - September 2024.pdf208907
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - August 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_august_2024.pdf243533
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - July 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_-_july_2024.pdf301757
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - June 2024
REOS Recruitment Insights Report - June 2024.pdf253393
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - May 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_-_may_2024.pdf254316
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - April 2024
REOS Recruitment Insights Report April 2024.pdf253445
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - March 2024
reos_recruitment_insights_report_-_march_2024.pdf246042
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - February 2024
recruitment_insights_report_-_february_2024.pdf244176
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - January 2024
Recruitment Insights Report - January 2024_0.pdf245383
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - December 2023
recruitment_insights_report_-_december_2023.pdf243858
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - November 2023
Recruitment Insights Report - November 2023.pdf241703
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - October 2023
recruitment_insights_report_-_october_2023.pdf237703
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - September 2023
Recruitment Insights Report - September 2023.pdf238082
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - August 2023
recruitment_insights_report_-_august_2023.pdf279164
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - April 2023
recruitment_insights_report_-_april_2023.pdf342074
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - March 2023
recruitment_insights_report_-_march_2023.pdf321562
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - February 2023
Recruitment Insights Report - February 2023.pdf455342
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - January 2023
Recruitment Insights Report - January 2023.pdf1052507
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - December 2022
recruitment_insights_report_-_december_2022.pdf355751
DownloadRecruitment Insights Report - November 2022
recruitment_insights_report_-_november_2022.pdf383271
DownloadSpotlight articles
Trends and change in recruitment difficulty
This month, the Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS) spotlights the latest trends in recruitment difficulty and explores how difficulty has changed between current and previous recruitment rounds.
Key findings:
- Recruitment difficulty continues to ease with 51%of recruiting employers reporting difficulty in October 2024
- Since the start of 2023, a larger proportion of recruiting employers who filled all their vacancies reported that recruiting for the same occupation as in their previous round had become ‘less difficult’ compared to those who reported ‘more difficult’.
- Employers who filled all their vacancies within a month were more likely to report recruitment being less difficult (33%) than more difficult (6%).
- While Lack of applicants is being mentioned less frequently as a reason for recruitment difficulty, Lack of suitable applicants remains the most cited reason over time.
For more insights, download the spotlight.
REOS Spotlight - Trends and Change in Recruitment Difficulty
REOS Spotlight - Trends and Change in Recruitment Difficulty-Dec 2024.pdf193069
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Trends and Change in Recruitment Difficulty
REOS Spotlight - Trends and Change in Recruitment Difficulty-Dec 2024.docx300083
DownloadUpcoming release:
REOS Spotlight – December quarter 2024 results
REOS Spotlight - September Quarter 2024 Results
reos_spotlight_-_september_quarter_2024_results.pdf369492
DownloadREOS spotlight - Recruitment experiences in the Construction industry
reos_spotlight_-_recruitment_experiences_in_the_construction_industry.pdf547794
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Recruitment experiences across Australia's regions - October 2024
recruitment_experiences_across_australias_regions_-_october_2024.pdf501896
DownloadREOS Spotlight - June quarter 2024 results.pdf
REOS Spotlight - June quarter 2024 results.pdf367767
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Recruitment Difficulty Update to May 2024.pdf
reos_spotlight_-_recruitment_difficulty_update_to_may_2024.pdf239410
DownloadREOS Spotlight - March quarter 2024 results
reos_spotlight_-_march_quarter_2024_results.pdf368838
DownloadREOS spotlight - Employers' experiences recruiting for apprentices - April 2024
reos_spotlight_-_employers_experiences_recruiting_for_apprentices.pdf315142
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Employers' retention issues
reos_spotlight_-_employers_retention_issues.pdf315085
DownloadREOS Spotlight - December quarter 2023 results
reos_spotlight_-_december_quarter_2023_results.pdf397571
DownloadSpotlight - September quarter 2023 results - November 2023
spotlight_-_sept_qtr_2023_results_-_november_2023_.pdf354390
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Jobless applicants December 2023
REOS Spotlight - Jobless applicants December 2023 .pdf226661
DownloadRecruitment Spotlight - Employers greatest concerns for the future - October 2023
reos_spotlight_-_employers_greatest_concerns_for_the_future_october_2023.pdf258223
DownloadRecruitment Spotlight - Employers unrealised vacancies - September 2023
recruitment_spotlight_-_employers_unrealised_vacancies_-_september_2023.pdf283511
DownloadRecruitment patterns for entry level vacancies - August 2023
Recruitment patterns for entry level vacancies - August 2023.pdf359497
DownloadRecruitment Spotlight - Recent trends in recruitment difficulty - June 2023
recruitment_spotlight_-_recent_trends_in_recruitment_difficulty.pdf807493
DownloadRecruitment Conditions in Capital Cities and Rest of State Areas - April 2023
recruitment_conditions_in_capital_cities_and_rest_of_state_areas_-_april_2023.pdf283521
DownloadRecruitment difficulty for Hospitality Workers - February 2023
Recruitment difficulty for Hospitality Workers (February 2023).pdf244099
DownloadEmployers Who Hired a Jobless Applicant - November 2022
employers-who-hired-a-jobless-applicant.pdf227799
DownloadSpotlights prior to November 2022 are available at Recruitment insights | Labour Market Insights.
Research articles
Contact
For information on the REOS survey or the Recruitment Insights Reports email REOS@jobsandskills.gov.au or telephone 1800 059 439 (REOS survey enquiries only).