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Jobs ads fall for a second month: ANZFont Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print July 07, 2008
THE total number of newspaper and internet job advertisements has fallen for the second straight month, an ANZ survey said.

The survey found the total number of jobs advertised in major metropolitan newspapers and on the internet fell by 3 per cent in June, to a seasonally adjusted 262,705 per week.

This followed a 1.7 per cent decline in May.

The total number of job advertisements in June was 6.2 per cent higher than 12 months ago.

The total number of ads in major metropolitan newspapers was down 3.5 per cent in June, to an average of 16,593 per week.

Newspaper ads were 17.9 per cent lower when compared with June last year.

The number of jobs advertised on the internet fell by 2.9 per cent to an average of 246,112 per week.

ANZ co-head of Australian economics Sally Auld said the survey was consistent with the trend in easing employment growth since the start of the year.

Ms Auld said employment growth should ease modestly over the next six months, but she did not expect a significant slowing in labour market activity.

“Indeed, the risk may be that persistent skill shortages could encourage firms to hoard labour,” Ms Auld said in a statement.

“This should ensure that while labour market conditions soften, the slowdown in employment growth and the rise in the unemployment rate will be reasonably measured.”

The largest drop in newspaper advertisements was recorded in Victoria, which fell 6.8 per cent.

Ads declined 5.7 per cent in the ACT and 5.6 per cent in Queensland.

NSW, which was down 4.1 per cent, and NT, where the number of ads shrunk 2.3 per cent, were also lower.

Heading in the opposite direction was Tasmania, where job ads jumped 16.6 per cent.

Job ads in South Australia and Western Australia were also higher, up 1 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively.

AAP