Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey

Jobs and Skills Australia surveys at least 1,000 employers each month to gather insights on their recruiting experiences and future staffing expectations. This feedback provides valuable information about labour market conditions and aids in developing resources to help job seekers understand employers' needs.

Key Indicators - June 2024

Recruitment activity experienced a sharp decline in June 2024, with significant drops in both capital cities and regional areas. Additionally, the proportion of employers anticipating future staffing increases decreased, especially in regional areas. The recruitment difficulty rate also saw a slight decline compared to May and remains significantly lower than levels recorded a year ago.

In smoothed terms, the recruitment rate has continued its notable decline since the beginning of the year and is now well below the peak levels observed in mid-2022. In recent months, smoothed expectations for future staff increases have continued to fall and are below levels reported in mid-2021.

Recruitment Activity

Recruitment activity significantly declined 9 percentage points in June 2024, dropping to 39% of employers. This is 10 percentage points lower than June 2023 and 20 percentage points below the record high of 59% in mid-2022. In capital cities, the recruitment rate was 37%, a decline of 9 percentage points from June 2023. In the rest of the state, the recruitment rate was 44%, a decline of 10 percentage points from June 2023.

Recruitment Difficulty

Recruitment difficulty decreased by 1 percentage point in June 2024, with 55% of recruiting employers reporting challenges. This figure is 8 percentage points lower than it was last year.

In both capital cities and the rest of the state, the recruitment difficulty rate decreased by 1 percentage point over the month, now at 56% and 52%, respectively.

Staffing Outlook: Employers Expect to Increase Staff

In June 2024, the proportion of employers anticipating staff increases in the next three months declined by 1 percentage point to 18%. This is 3 percentage points lower than in June of last year.

In capital cities, 19% of employers expected to increase staffing levels over the next three months. In the rest of the state, 16% of employers anticipated future staffing increases within the same period.

Recruitment Difficulty Update to May 2024

Key Findings:

• Recruitment difficulty has decreased overall. In 2024, fewer employers across various regions, skill levels, reportable industries, and major occupation groups will face recruitment challenges compared to 2023.
• There has been a notable reduction in recruitment difficulty for lower-skilled occupations in 2024, while a significant proportion of employers continue to struggle with hiring for higher-skilled positions, consistent with 2023 trends.
• The primary reasons for recruitment difficulty include a lack of suitable applicants, undesirable working conditions, and a shortage of experienced candidates.