Job ads fell 0.8 in April: ANZ

Job ads on the internet and in newspapers fell 0.8 per cent in April, but rose 6.3 per cent in the year to April, according to ANZ.

Employment advertising in a newspaper

Job ads on the internet and in newspapers fell 0.8 per cent in April, new data shows. (AAP)

The number of job advertisements has dipped, reflecting an uncertain economic outlook.

Job ads appearing on the internet and in newspapers in April fell 0.8 per cent, compared with March.

But they're up 6.3 per cent on the previous April, seasonally adjusted figures from ANZ show.

ANZ head of Australian economics Felicity Emmett said the number of ads had now been, broadly, flat since October.

"This follows a period of substantial growth in employment, so some modest slowdown should probably not be surprising," she said in a statement.

"The moderation in job ads could alternatively reflect some uncertainty by firms around the near-term outlook, given the double dissolution election in July, or a general softening of the economic outlook."

Ms Emmet said the reaction to the federal budget had been mixed, while the Reserve Bank's cash rate cut last week had highlighted the challenges for the domestic economy.

She said business surveys suggested activity was still robust but, she added, the stimulus from housing and the lower Australian dollar were likely to fade and growth would likely moderate as well.

"ANZ job ads suggest that the economy has lost some momentum after strong growth in the second half of 2015," Ms Emmet added.

"Hiring looks to be taking a breather for the time being, and further significant inroads into the unemployment rate may be more difficult to achieve in the near term."


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world