Australian Government, Department of Employment
Australian Labour Market Update
October 2016
Are you looking for a job in Australia?
The Australian Labour Market Update provides information on the Australian labour market on a quarterly basis. It is intended to inform people interested in working in Australia on a temporary or permanent basis.
Further information on job prospects, earnings and related information is at the Job Outlook website.
Unless otherwise stated, data are from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Labour Force Survey, August 2016.[1]
Employment
Over the 12months to August 2016, the strongest employment growth (in trend terms) occurred in Victoria (3.5%), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT, 2.7%) and New South Wales (NSW, 2.1%). Employment declined in Tasmania (down1.6%) and Western Australia (WA, down1.0%).
Employment opportunities and growth varied across industries. Over the 12months to August 2016, the largest increases in trend employment occurred in Accommodation and Food Services (up39200), Construction (up37600), Public Administration and Safety (up34800) and Health Care and Social Assistance (up28900). The largest decrease in trend employment occurred in Retail Trade (down22400). The strongest rates of employment growth were in Accommodation and Food Services (up4.8%) and Public Administration and Safety (up4.7%). Increases in trend employment by industry are shown in Figure1.
Figure 1: Trend employment growth by industry (’000s persons)—August 2015 to August 2016
Source: ABS, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, August 2016, ABS Cat. No. 6291.0.55.003.
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Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 1
Unemployment
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 1
The trend rate of unemployment in Australia was 5.7% in August2016,compared with 6.1% in August2015.
In the past year, the trend unemployment rate increased in Tasmania (6.4% to 6.7%) and WA (6.1% to 6.2%). It remained steady in Queensland (at 6.2%).
Over the same period, the trend unemployment rate decreased in the ACT (4.9% to 3.5%), the Northern Territory (NT,4.6% to 3.5%), South Australia (SA, 7.8% to 6.7%), NSW (5.8% to 5.0%) and Victoria (6.1% to 5.7%).
In August 2016, the trend unemployment rate was highest in SA and Tasmania (both 6.7%), and lowest in the NT and the ACT (both 3.5%). See Figure 2.
Figure 2: Unemployment rates (%) by
State/Territory—August 2016
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 1
Migrant Unemployment
The unemployment rates for people who migrate to Australia vary appreciably. Several factors influence migrant unemployment rates including skill level, age, English proficiency, recent and relevant work experience, and the period since arrival in Australia. Data consistently show recently-arrived migrants have a higher unemployment rate on average than those who have lived in Australia for some years.
Figure 3 below shows unemployment rates (average of the last 12months to August 2016) for people resident in Australia born in major country groups (subcontinent). People born in North-West Europe and Southern and Eastern Europe have relatively low unemployment rates (3.9% and 4.9% respectively), while unemployment rates for people born in North Africa and the Middle East (11.3%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (7.5%) are relatively high.
Figure 3: Unemployment rates (%) by major country groups (subcontinent) of birth—
12 months to August 2016[2]
MESC: Main English Speaking Countries[3]
OTMESC: Other Than Main English Speaking Countries
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 1
Employment by Occupation[4]
Employment growth is not the only factor influencing job prospects and it may be easier to obtain a job in an occupation which is experiencing strong employment growth than one growing only slowly or declining.
Over the 12months to August 2016, the largest increases in trend employment occurred for Community and Personal Service Workers (up65300), Clerical and Administrative Workers (up53500) and Labourers (up47900). Trend employment growth rates in descending skill order are shown in Table1 below.
Table 1: Trend employment growth by occupation—12months to August 2016
Occupational Group / 1 Year Change (’000 persons) / 1 Year Change (%) /Managers / -17.3 / -1.1
Professionals / 44.2 / 1.6
Technicians and Trades Workers / -57.6 / -3.3
Community and Personal Service Workers / 65.3 / 5.4
Clerical and Administrative Workers / 53.5 / 3.2
Sales Workers / -18.5 / -1.6
Machinery Operators and Drivers / 20.2 / 2.7
Labourers / 47.9 / 4.3
Additional information on occupational groups is provided in the following section on internet vacancy trends.
Internet Vacancy Trends
The Department of Employment produces the monthly Vacancy Report which contains the Internet Vacancy Index (IVI)[5] (seeFigure4). Over the year to August 2016, the IVI (trend) increased by 6.2% with increases recorded for all eightoccupational groups.
The largest occupational group increases were for Machinery Operators and Drivers (up17.6%) and Labourers (up17.1%).
At the more detailed occupation level, vacancies increased in 40 of the 48occupation clusters over the year to August 2016, with the strongest increases for Protective Service Workers (up32.0%), Science Professionals and Veterinarians (up28.7%) and Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers (up24.9%). The strongest decrease over this period was for Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers (down9.7%).
Over the year to August 2016, vacancies rose in five states and the ACT. The strongest rises were in SA and the ACT (bothup16.4%), followed by Tasmania (up11.6%) and NSW (up10.4%). The falls were in WA (down16.1%) and the NT (down2.8%).
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 1
Figure 4: Internet Vacancy Index, January 2006 to August 2016
Source: Department of Employment, Vacancy Report (September 2016), Trend Index data.
Future Job Openings
The Australian Jobs 2016 publication contains information on projected future employment change over the fiveyears to November2020 for different occupations and industries. As there may be significant variation between and within states, information on future employment change should be used with caution.
Future employment change estimates are indicative only and are intended to provide a guide to opportunities likely to be available over the fiveyears to November2020. It is important to note that these estimates do not provide any guidance about the number of people looking for opportunities in each occupation. As the Australian labour market can change quickly, information should be re-assessed prior to making a decision to lodge a visa application.
Queries on the Australian Labour Market Update publication should be emailed to .
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 1
Australian Government, Department of Employment
Australian Labour Market Update
Hot Topic
October 2016
Ambulance Officers and Paramedics
Ambulance Officers and Paramedics provide emergency health care and transport for injured, sick, infirm and aged persons to medical facilities[i]. In the Australian labour market, employers generally seek applicants with a Bachelor degree in a relevant field of study. Regulation and legislation relevant to Ambulance Officers and Paramedics depends on the state or territory of employment in Australia and employer requirements in addition to any specified Australian driving licence requirements. For example, the Ambulance Service of New South Wales requires applicants to obtain and maintain a Current Certificate to Practice based on continuing professional development.
Labour Market Profile
Employment growth projections by the Australian Department of Employment indicate that the occupation group of Ambulance Officers and Paramedics is expected to grow strongly to November 2020. The number of job openings is, however, expected to be low. Nearly all Ambulance Officers and Paramedics are employed in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry (98.8%). TableA provides a labour market profile for Ambulance Officers and Paramedics from the Job Outlook website.
Table A: Ambulance Officers and Paramedics—Key Labour Market Indicators
Key Indicator / Ambulance Officers and Paramedics /Occupation size (November 2015) / 16800
Most common level of educational attainment / Bachelor degree (48.3%)
Median age / 42 years
Full-time share of employment / 96.4%
Average weekly hours (full-time) / 42.3
Median weekly earnings (full-time and before tax) / $1379
Unemployment rate / below average
Employment growth over past five years (to November 2015) / 46.7%
Projected (to November 2020) occupation size / 18600
Regional Employment
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 Hot Topic 2
Ambulance Officers and Paramedics are employed in all states and territories in Australia.
For the four quarters to August 2016[ii], the average employment of Ambulance Officers and Paramedics was highest in New South Wales (34.6%), Victoria (31.0%) and Queensland (18.5%).
South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory employed the smallest number of Ambulance Officers and Paramedics (at fewer than 10.0% each). See Figure A (original data).
Figure A: Employment Distribution of
Ambulance Officers and Paramedics
by State/Territory to August 2016 (%)
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 Hot Topic 2
Skills Assessment
Overseas-trained Ambulance Officers and Paramedics seeking to practise in Australia need to first obtain a skills assessment from VETASSESS which is the relevant Australian assessing authority for migration purposes. The VETASSESS skills assessment criteria for Ambulance Officers and Paramedics includes at least one year of post-qualification employment that is highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
In 2015–16, the Australian Government initiated an inquiry into the establishment of a national registration system for Australian Paramedics to improve and ensure patient and community safety. In October 2016 there was agreement by the Council of Australian Governments[iii] that Paramedics be included in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for health professionals.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) works with National Health Practitioner Boards in implementing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. AHPRA will be responsible for implementing the administrative arrangements for national regulation of Paramedics. National registration for Paramedics is expected to start in late 2018.
Further information on national registration is available from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, noting Paramedics Australasia Ltd and The Council of Ambulance Authorities Incorporated publish information on current arrangements.
Employer-Sponsored Migration
The Australian Government has several employer-sponsored migration programmes including the Temporary Work Skilled, the Employer Nomination Scheme and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme. Information on these programmes is on the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website.
Seeking Employment in Australia
Ambulance Officers and Paramedics should note that acceptance of qualifications for a migration (visa) purpose does not assure employment in these or related occupations in Australia. Employment will depend on other factors such as the number of vacancies, skill needs in the Australian labour market, and suitability of an applicant for employment in a particular job in Australia.
The Department of Employment is not an employment agency and is not able to assist visa applicants or potential migrants to obtain employment in Australia. Australian employers are increasingly using the internet to advertise vacancies, and websites of Australian professional bodies (which may recognise membership of affiliated overseas bodies) and industry bodies often include information on vacancies.
Australian Labour Market Update—October 2016 Hot Topic 2
[1]The first paragraph of the Employment section and the Unemployment section use trended data from the ABS’ Labour Force, Australia, September 2016 (ABSCat.No.6202.0) time series spreadsheets.
[2]From October 2015, Figure3 of the Australian Labour Market Update uses major country groups (subcontinent) of birth data from the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), 2011 (ABS Cat. No. 1269.0). In SACC, ‘Australia (includes External Territories)’ is included within ‘Oceania and Antarctica’.
[3]MESC are the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Canada, the United States of America and New Zealand.
[4]This section is based on August 2016 Department of Employment trend data derived from ABS Labour Force Survey data. Occupational Groups are from the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) (ABSCat.No.1220.0).
[5]The Internet Vacancy Index (IVI) is based on a count of online job advertisements newly lodged on SEEK, CareerOne and Australian JobSearch during the month. Duplicate advertisements are removed before IVI vacancies are coded by the Department of Employment to occupations based on ANZSCO. The data are seasonally adjusted and trended, then indexed (January 2006=100).
[i]Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Statistics New Zealand, Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, Cat.No.1220.0, First Edition.
[ii]ABS Labour Force Survey (original data), Cat. No. 6291.0.55.003.
[iii]The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia. The members of COAG are the Prime Minister, State and Territory Premiers and Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association.