Internet Vacancy Index Continues to Decline

The Internet Vacancy Index has fallen to 42.1% below the March 2008 peak according to DEEWR’s latest Vacancy Report....

26 March 2012

According to the March 2012 Vacancy Report, the Internet Vacancy Index (IVI) declined marginally by 0.2% in February 2012, the eleventh consecutive monthly fall in the series. The monthly IVI is based on a count of online vacancies newly lodged on SEEK, My Career, CareerOne and Australian JobSearch during the month. Duplicate advertisements are removed before the IVI vacancies are coded by DEEWR to occupations based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The data are seasonally adjusted and trended, and then indexed (January 2006 = 100). The Skilled IVI is based on the aggregation of Professionals and Technicians and Trades Workers.

Over the year, the IVI has fallen by 8.6%, and is now 42.1% below the March 2008 peak. Over the year to February 2012, the IVI increased in the Northern Territory (up by 15.7%), Western Australia (11.8%), and Queensland (1.0%), but decreased in all other States and the ACT. Growth in the Regional IVI (three month moving average) over the year to February 2012 was recorded in 15 of the 38 regions. The strongest increases over this period were recorded in Central Queensland (up by 39.2%) and Goldfields & Southern WA (29.2%).

Monthly Change:

• Increased in five of eight occupational groups
• Strongest rises recorded for Managers, Technicians and Trades Workers, and Clerical and Administrative Workers (all up by 1.5%)
• Increased in three states and both territories

Annual Change:

• Strongest falls recorded for Sales Workers (down by 10.5%) and Clerical and Administrative Workers (9.9%)
• Increased in the Northern Territory (up by 25.4%), Western Australia (13.3%), and Queensland (3.2%) (218 900 vacancies)

The Skilled Internet Vacancy Index shows the strongest increases were recorded for Science Professionals followed by Engineers (2.7%). Over the year to February 2012, the Skilled IVI has fallen by 7.1%, with the strongest declines being recorded in Construction Trades (down by 26.8%), followed by Transport and Design Professionals, and Architects (22.2%). Science Professionals and Veterinarians recorded the strongest increase over the year (up by 24.0%), followed by Automotive and Engineering Trades (11.8%), and Engineers (6.4%).

Excerpt from: Vacancy Report March 2012, The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, The Australian Government (http://www.deewr.gov.au/lmip/default.aspx?LMIP/VacancyReport), 26 March 2012