ANZ has released its Job Advertisement Series for January, finding that the number of advertised places has boomed in the country’s mining states, while recording a stablising of advertisements in non-mining regions.

 

The number of job advertisements on the internet and in newspapers rose 6.0 per cent m/m in January. Total job advertisements were 0.7 per cent higher than in January 2011. This was the largest rise in job advertising since February 2010.

 

The report found that the rise in job advertising was driven by a 6.4 per cent rise in internet job advertisements to a level 1.4 per cent higher than the same time last year.

 

Newspaper job ads fell 2.6% m/m in January, however, this only partially unwound the 3.4% m/m increase recorded in December. The December increase was driven by a surge in advertising in the resources states, which was largely maintained in January, especially in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Elsewhere there were signs that the Australia Day holiday caused greater than usual restraint in newspaper advertising in the last two weeks of January, suggesting a less negative outcome than the headline result. Overall, newspaper advertising was 11.5% lower than in January 2011.

 

The report shows a strong rebound in job advertisements after a modest contraction in the sector in December, seeing the strongest growth in advertising since February 2010.

 

“This tentative improvement in job ads is very encouraging and is being driven by acceleration in the mining regions of Australia (in Queensland and the Northern Territory in particular in recent months), confirming the awaited significant acceleration in mining investment is now beginning to boost labour demand in these states,” the report found.

 

The report can be found here