SYDNEY, March 30 (Reuters) - Job vacancies in Australia
eased in the three months to February, the third straight
quarter of decline, but still far above pre-pandemic levels in a
sign of a still tight labour market.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) out
on Thursday showed vacancies in the February quarter fell 1.5%,
from the previous quarter, to 438,500.
That was the lowest number in a year, but still 92% higher
than in February 2020 before the pandemic struck.
"There is still a very high demand for labour from employers
across Australia and across all industries," said Bjorn Jarvis,
ABS head of labour statistics.
"This continued to be most acute in the Accommodation and
food services and Arts and recreation services industries, where
vacancies were around three to four times what they were before
the pandemic."
The strength of the labour market is one reason the Reserve
Bank of Australia (RBA) has raised interest rates ten times
since May to 3.60%.
Thursday's data showed vacancies in the private sector
dipped 1.5% in the February, while the public sector saw a drop
of 1.4%. The number of vacancies was highest in public
administration followed by the accommodation and food sector,
health care and education.
(Reporting by Wayne Cole
Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Messaging: wayne.cole.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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