Job vacancies have declined by 30.7%. This marks a decrease in 10 out of the last 11 quarters, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Vacancies peaked at a record 474,700 in May 2022, but have since fallen to 328,900 in February 2025, a reduction of 30.7%.
“However, despite the falls in job vacancies over the last two and a half years, the total number of vacancies was still 44.5% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020,” said the ABS’s head of labour statistics, Sean Crick.
“The December quarter [labour data] continues to show strong demand for people, with vacancies still tracking at around 2.1% of all jobs in Australia. This was unchanged from the previous quarter and was higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 1.6%.”
In other words, while job vacancies declined by 30.7%, it remains challenging. With that in mind, here are five tips to help you find quality staff:
- Write clear, engaging job ads to attract the right candidates
- Offer competitive pay and benefits to stand out from other employers
- Include a salary range in job ads, as applicants value transparency
- Act quickly – good candidates are often snapped up fast
- Be flexible with work arrangements to appeal to a wider talent pool