Job advertisements on the internet fell 1.2 per cent in December, official figures show.
The Department of Employment's internet vacancy index fell to a seasonally adjusted 58.4 points in the month to be 11.1 per cent lower than a year ago.
Five of the eight occupational groups monitored by the department fell in December.
The largest decline in the month was seen for professional positions, showing a fall of 3.3 per cent, followed by a 2.7 per cent drop in demand for labourers.
However, demand for sales workers rose 2.3 per cent.
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Falls in job ads were recorded in all states in December, led by a 4.4 per cent decline in Tasmania.
However, there was a sharp contrast between the territories, with ads in the Northern Territory tumbling 19.4 per cent but rising by 7.7 per cent in the ACT.
Demand for workers fell for all states and territories over the year, apart from Tasmania where there was a modest increase of 0.9 per cent.
The Northern Territory saw the biggest drop at 33.2 per cent, followed by a 27.1 per cent decline in Western Australia.
