Online job advertisements in Queensland have fallen the most in nearly two years but rebuilding efforts in the flood-thrashed state will create demand for skilled workers, according to the latest Advantage Job Index.
The job index by Advantage Professional, formerly known as the Oliver Job Index, showed a 5.78 per cent drop in Queensland's online employment ads in January, the biggest decline in 20 months.
The state's transport, building and construction, and hospitality and tourism sectors led the downward trend, down 16.01 per cent, 10.77 per cent and 9.44 per cent, respectively. In contrast, online jobs ads in Western Australia rose by 5.81 per cent, driven by increased demand for skilled labour in the healthcare and engineering sectors.
WA was the only state to record double digit growth in the retail sector at 12.14 per cent, while the legal sector was the only industry in the state to record a decline with a 4.65 per cent fall.
Bob Olivier, director of global market intelligence for Advantage Resourcing, said an urgent review of current on-hire arrangements would go a long way towards addressing short term skill shortages.
"Booming Western Australia and disaster ravaged Queensland need skilled labour now, yet changes in 2007 to business migration practices have made it virtually impossible for most recruitment firms to place with their clients the overseas professionals these states desperately need," Mr Olivier said.
Nationally, a 0.36 per cent fall in online job advertisements in January was led by the transport, legal and tourism sectors, down 8.75 per cent, 8.06 per cent and 2.69 per cent, respectively.
Online job ad growth was reported for human resources (up 4.67 per cent), education (up 3.23 per cent) and sales and marketing (up 2.44 per cent).
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