Australian skilled vacancies in great demand

by Guneet S - February 19, 2010

Australia, February 19: Demand for Australian skilled worker positions increased by 1.6 percent in February as compared to January’s figures, the figures from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations reveal.

Australia’s skilled job vacancies index went up to 44.4 points in February, 2010. However, it was still 2.6 percent lower than a February 2009. The DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) skilled job index was 5.9 percent lower than a year ago(in seasonally adjusted terms).

There has been an increasing trend in the vacancies for associate professionals registering an increase by 1.3 percent and trades moving up 4.0 percent. There was, meanwhile, decline in the vacancies for professionals group which fell to 4.0 percent, the index based on job vacancies advertised in the famous news publications revealed.

The department also stated an increase in the job vacancy advertisements for 12 out of the 18 skilled jobs. The greatest decline was seen in the vacancies for health professionals (8.1 percent) while the biggest growth was seen in the marketing and advertising job vacancies (9.9 percent).

Western Australia, with an increase of 5.3 percent, topped the list for registering biggest rise in skilled job vacancies. Queensland, with a drop of 2.8 percent, saw the largest decline in the skilled vacancies in February.

Territories-wise, Northern Territory lead the way for making 67.2 percent increase in the skilled vacancies. The rising trend in the skilled vacancies was seen in almost all the states and the territories in the month of February this year.

The ICT (information and communications technology) index grew up by 2.0 percent in trend terms in February to reach 140.3 but it was lower by 10.5 percent than February 2009.

Also, a decline was seen in the new Internet Vacancy Index, which fell to 67.4, going 3.5 percent down between December and January. It was 22.1 percent below than a year earlier, the figures stated.