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Spotlight articles highlight topical issues and are a more detailed analysis of recruitment using REOS data.
Shifting Employer Sentiment
This month, the Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS) spotlights how rising fuel costs, supply disruptions and increasing operating expenses are reshaping employer sentiment and business conditions across Australia in early 2026.
Key findings include:
- A rise in the number of employers reporting cost pressures as their leading concern, particularly among small businesses, which were more affected than larger counterparts.
- Strong impacts related to cost-pressure were reported by transport-reliant and regional businesses.
- Recruitment and retention difficulties remain a key structural challenge, especially for employers actively hiring or experiencing difficulty filling roles.
For more insights, download the spotlight.
Upcoming release:
REOS spotlight - June quarter results
Previous spotlights
REOS Quarterly Report - March quarter 2026
reos_quarterly_report_march_quarter_2026.pdf828363
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Successful Recruitment Methods
reos_spotlight_-_successful_recruitment_methods.pdf576202
DownloadREOS Spotlight - REOS December quarter 2025 results
reos_spotlight_-_december_quarter_2025_results.pdf824369
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Entry level jobs across city, coastal, inland and remote regions
reos_spotlight_-_entry_level_jobs_across_city_coastal_inland_and_remote_regions.pdf1177906
DownloadREOS Spotlight - September quarter 2025 results.pdf
reos_spotlight_-_september_quarter_2025_results.pdf847118
DownloadREOS Spotlight - June quarter 2025 results.pdf
reos_spotlight_-_june_quarter_2025_results.pdf828790
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Employers' experiences with retention issues
reos_spotlight_-_employers_experiences_with_retention_issues.pdf414447
DownloadREOS Spotlight - How recruitment challenges affect businesses
reos_spotlight_-_how_recruitment_challenges_affect_businesses.pdf260111
DownloadREOS Spotlight - March quarter 2025 results.pdf
reos_spotlight_-_march_quarter_2025_results.pdf741617
DownloadREOS Spotlight - December quarter 2024 results
reos_spotlight_-_december_quarter_2024_results.pdf294458
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Trends and Change in Recruitment Difficulty
REOS Spotlight - Trends and Change in Recruitment Difficulty-Dec 2024.pdf193069
DownloadREOS 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
recruitment_experiences_across_australias_regions_-_october_2024.pdf501896
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Recruitment Difficulty Update to May 2024
reos_spotlight_-_recruitment_difficulty_update_to_may_2024.pdf239410
DownloadREOS Spotlight - June quarter 2024 results
REOS Spotlight - June quarter 2024 results.pdf367767
DownloadREOS Spotlight - March quarter 2024 results
reos_spotlight_-_march_quarter_2024_results.pdf368838
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Employers' experiences recruiting for apprentices
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
DownloadREOS Spotlight - September quarter 2023 results
spotlight_-_sept_qtr_2023_results_-_november_2023_.pdf354390
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Jobless applicants December 2023
REOS Spotlight - Jobless applicants December 2023 .pdf226661
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Employers unrealised vacancies
recruitment_spotlight_-_employers_unrealised_vacancies_-_september_2023.pdf283511
DownloadREOS Spotlight - Recruitment patterns for entry level vacancies
Recruitment patterns for entry level vacancies - August 2023.pdf359497
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