Victorian employment trends – June 2020

June’s Victorian job ads… and the impact of July’s Stage 3 lockdowns

According to employment marketplace SEEK, June’s advertising behaviour saw a continued bolstering of month-on-month activity nationally, Victoria experiencing a 44.5% increase compared to May. Job ads are still tracking 32.8% below last year’s figures and the demand across specific markets hides some continuing challenges in many others.

Stage 3 restrictions introduced in July across Metropolitan Melbourne have also put a dampener on the job ad trend in Victoria, with job ad volume reducing once again by 6.1% in the first two weeks of July.

One of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 enjoyed short-lived optimism as the Hospitality and Tourism market saw an 80% increase in job ads nationally and 51% increase in Victoria. Subsequently, Stage 3 restrictions introduced in July across Metropolitan Melbourne have once again meant that many well-loved eateries and bars have shut their doors or gone back to takeaway menus.

Application rates peak across white collar job ads

Job seeker application rates continue to pose a challenge for in-house recruitment teams as they navigate the challenges of doing more, often with less resources dedicated to delivery. Across all roles Victoria has  experienced a 29.2% increase to the number of applicants per job, compared to 9.7% nationally.

Several professional job categories are responsible for the majority of the increase, while the national average is softened by certain roles where job applications have actually decreased.

Average increase of applicant numbers compared to pre-COVID levels (nationally):

• 42% Administration and Office Support
• 38% Information and Communication Technology
• 32% Accounting