The growing rate of unemployment in Australia may be stabilising, according to the findings of the latest SEEK Employment Index (SEI).
The monthly index, which summarises the balance between supply and demand in the Australian labour market, found that new job ads for June fell 4.5 percent below the average monthly rate of decline of 6.1 percent from September 2008 to May 2009.
While the slowing rate of decline is encouraging, the trend appears to be more a stabilising one, rather than one suggesting a corner is about to been turned, Joe Powell, managing director at SEEK Employment said.
“Despite, recent comments that suggest Australia may avoid a recession and growing consumer confidence, it is still a very competitive market for those seeking employment,” Powell said in a statement.
“The June results once again suggest that to remain competitive in today’s job market, you really need to look at up-skilling. Those jobseekers that have qualifications and the flexibility to move around, should look to those areas where their skills are in most demand.”
As reported last month, IT Consultants continue to be in high demand, with the June SEI finding that IT Consultants were again fourth most in demand professional.
Nurses and midwives lead the pack, followed by school teachers, local government public servants, and property managers in fifth place rounding out the top five.
The least in demand professionals were process workers at number one, followed by kitchen hands, call centre operators, accounts payable clerks and sales assistants.