Jobs and Skills Australia surveys at least 1000 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 - April 2023
| Recruitment activity | Recruitment difficulty rate | Expect to increase staff |
|---|---|---|
|
50% |
62% |
20% |
| Monthly change: -5%pts. Yearly change: -6%pts. |
Monthly change: -2%pts. Yearly change: -2%pts. |
Monthly change: -10%pts. Yearly change: -16%pts. |
Recruitment activity
In April 2023, recruitment activity eased by 5 percentage points over the month to 50% of employers recruiting. This month’s recruitment activity rate is comparable to levels recorded at the end of 2021.
- 48% of employers recruited in Capital Cities in April 2023, a decrease of 7 percentage points over the month, and 6 percentage points lower than in April 2022.
- Recruitment activity in Rest of State areas (53%) was higher than in Capital Cities. However, it also eased over the month, falling by 3 percentage points over the month to stand 7 percentage points lower than a year ago.
Proportion of employers who were currently recruiting or who had recruited in the past month
Note: Disaggregated data for January are imputed due to smaller sample sizes over the holiday period.
Source: Recruitment Outlook and Experiences Survey, April 2023.
Recruitment difficulty
- 59% of recruiting employers had recruitment difficulty in Capital Cities. This was 6 percentage points lower than in both March 2023 and in April 2022.
- On the other hand, in Rest of State areas, recruitment difficulty increased by 2 percentage points to 66% this month, some 4 percentage points higher than a year ago.
Proportion of recruiting employers who had recruitment difficulty
Note: Disaggregated data for January are imputed due to smaller sample sizes over the holiday period.
Source: Recruitment Outlook and Experiences Survey, April 2023.
Staffing outlook
This is the sharpest monthly decrease since the series started in April 2020 and is now at its lowest level since August 2021 (18%).
Proportion of employers expecting to increase staffing levels over the next 3 months
Note: Disaggregated data for January are imputed due to smaller sample sizes over the holiday period.
Source: Recruitment Outlook and Experiences Survey, April 2023.
Quarterly insights for key recruitment indicators (selected industries) – March quarter 2023
Quarterly recruitment rates
During the March quarter 2023:
- At 60%, Queensland had the highest proportion of employers recruiting. This was 4 percentage points higher than in the previous quarter. At 57%, New South Wales was the second highest recruiting state in the quarter (see Figure 1 below).
- The lowest quarterly recruitment rate was in South Australia (49%), 6 percentage points lower than in December quarter 2022.
- Western Australia (53%) and Tasmania (50%) both had the sharpest decreases in quarterly recruitment activity, with the recruitment rate in both states falling 7 percentage points from the December quarter 2022.
Over the year to March quarter 2023:
- Victoria was the only state to record a decline in the quarterly recruitment rate over the year, declining from 56% in the March quarter 2022 to 53% in the March quarter 2023.
- The largest annual increases were in Queensland and Tasmania, which both increased by 7 percentage points since the March quarter 2022.
Recruitment difficulty rates by selected industries
Source: Recruitment Outlook and Experiences Survey, March 2023.
Quarterly recruitment difficulty rates
In the March quarter 2023,
- Recruitment difficulty was highest for Wholesale Trade at 70%, followed by Manufacturing (67%), and Health Care and Social Assistance (66%). The lowest quarterly recruitment difficulty rates were recorded for Accommodation and Food Services (53%) and Construction (59%).
Compared to a year ago,
- For most reportable industries, employers had less difficulty recruiting in the March quarter 2023 than the same time last year. The greatest difference was for Accommodation and Food Services, down by 18 percentage points from 71% in the March quarter 2022.
Recruitment difficulty rates by selected industries
Source: Recruitment Outlook and Experiences Survey, March 2023.
Recruitment Insights Report - monthly
Spotlight: Recruitment Conditions in Greater Capital Cities and Rest of State areas
The Recruitment Insights Report highlights key findings and trends in recruitment activity, recruitment difficulty and future staffing expectations.
Each report also contains a ‘Spotlight’ on a particular topic.
This month’s spotlight focuses on recruitment conditions experienced by employers in Capital Cities versus Rest of State areas of Australia.
Previous reports
Spotlights prior to December 2022 are available at Recruitment insights | Labour Market Insights.
Methodology
Jobs and Skills Australia conducts the Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS) to monitor recruitment activity and conditions across Australia.
The REOS surveys employers across Australia, and up to 14,000 businesses respond to the survey throughout the year.
The survey collects information on employer recruitment activity, recruitment difficulty and staffing outlook – all important indicators to help policy makers and analysts monitor and understand current and emerging labour market conditions. Data are released as close to collection as possible, providing an almost real-time view of recruitment activity across Australia.
The REOS questionnaire continually evolves to stay current with changes in the Australian labour market that directly impact on businesses and their recruitment.
For more information on the survey methodology, key concepts used in the survey and to view the questionnaire, see the paper:
Contact Details
For information on the REOS survey or the Recruitment Insights Reports I email REOS@jobsandskills.gov.au or telephone 1800 059 439 (REOS survey enquiries only).