Australia’s labour market appears to be gradually shifting gears, as fresh data reveals a continued decline in job advertisements. According to the latest ANZ-Indeed figures, job postings dropped by 1.2% in May 2025, building on a revised 0.3% fall the previous month.
This signals a measured but persistent slowdown in recruitment appetite, bringing the number of job ads to its lowest since early 2021. However, demand for workers still remains higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic—sitting 13.6% above pre-pandemic averages.
Aaron Luk, an economist at ANZ, noted that while job ad volumes have held steady for much of the past year, the recent downturn places them near the lower edge of that range. He added that broader indicators of hiring demand remain mixed, with strong gains in employment figures being offset by stagnant hours worked.
Geographically, job ads grew modestly in New South Wales and Victoria, but this was outweighed by steeper drops in Queensland and other regions. Among sectors, education and tech-related roles—especially software development—saw renewed momentum, while categories such as project management and general management roles declined sharply.
Despite softening hiring signals, the unemployment rate remains stable at around 4.1%. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) recently eased interest rates amid broader economic uncertainty, with projections showing unemployment may tick up to 4.3% later in the year.
For now, while job ad numbers hint at a cooler labour market, Australia’s overall employment landscape remains relatively strong. The months ahead will test whether this dip marks a temporary adjustment—or the beginning of a broader trend.
Source – https://www.bwpeople.in/article/australias-job-postings-slide-again-hinting-market-shift-558467