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Nearly half of employers report recruitment difficulties in Australia

Australian employers remain positive in short-term employment intentions

Australian employers continue to hold positive short-term employment intentions with a score of +45, as indicated by the Net Employment Intentions Index released by the Australian HR Institute.

The index calculates the net positive outlook by subtracting the percentage of employers planning to reduce staffing levels from those intending to increase them.

Despite predictions of lower economic growth in 2023 and a decline in job vacancies since mid-2022, the net positive recruitment plans persist. This is attributed to expected minimal redundancies and anticipated high recruitment activity. Interestingly, the strength of employment intentions may be attributed to a “recruitment catch-up” phenomenon, wherein employers are now filling previously vacant positions they had difficulty filling.

The Index reveals that 69% of employers plan to recruit new employees in the June 2023 quarter. However, nearly half (47%) of the employers currently engaged in recruitment express concerns about recruitment difficulties.

These concerns exceed the figures reported in official data from June 2022, which indicated that almost one-third of recruiting organizations faced challenges in finding suitable staff.

The main obstacles contributing to recruitment difficulties include a lack of suitable candidates (75%), high salary expectations (45%), and fierce competition from rival organizations (34%).

According to the Index, the average employee turnover for Australian workplaces between May 2022 and April 2023 stands at 12%. Around 20% of organizations report an annual turnover rate of 20% or higher.

These figures suggest that the positive recruitment intentions are not exerting significant upward pressure on wages. Employers project a mean basic pay increase of 3.3% in their organizations (excluding bonuses) for the 12 months ending in April 2024. In the same period, public sector employers anticipate higher pay intentions (4.4%) compared to private (3.2%) and not-for-profit (2.2%) sectors.

The survey also inquired about the utilization of fixed-term contracts. It found that over a third (36%) of employers with fixed-term workers have employees who have served at their organization for more than two years.

Regarding casual employment, the primary reasons for hiring casual employees include managing short-term fluctuations in demand (46%), providing individual flexibility (42%), adapting to changes in business conditions (37%), and accommodating employee preferences such as higher pay (31%).

In terms of employee engagement, 66% of employers observe no significant difference in engagement levels between permanent and casual employees. However, a quarter of organizations (25%) state that casual employees exhibit higher levels of engagement compared to permanent employees.

Furthermore, approximately 17% of casual employees do not have access to the same training and development opportunities as permanent employees.

More than half (58%) of employers confirm paying a higher rate for casual workers. In contrast, one in ten (10%) employers admit to paying casual employees less than their permanent counterparts for similar roles within the organization.

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ONS reports record high of individuals returning to the workforce

Online job vacancies continue to decline

The ONS has released its latest labour market report and it’s revealed that UK employment figures rose to 75.9% in January to March 2023, which is an increase of 0.2% from October to December 2022. This growth was primarily driven by part-time employees and self-employed individuals.

However, the more recent estimate for April 2023 shows a monthly decline in payrolled employees, dropping by 136,000 to reach 29.8 million, compared to the revised March 2023 figures. This marks the first decrease in total payrolled employees since February 2021, but it should be noted that this estimate is provisional and subject to revision when more data becomes available next month.

The unemployment rate for January to March 2023 increased by 0.1% from the previous quarter, reaching 3.9%. The rise in unemployment was largely influenced by individuals who had been jobless for over 12 months.

On the other hand, the economic inactivity rate declined by 0.4% in the same period, down to 21% in January to March 2023. This decrease in economic inactivity was mainly driven by individuals aged 16 to 24 years. Among the reasons for economic inactivity, the decline was primarily attributed to students or those inactive due to other reasons, while the number of individuals inactive due to long-term sickness reached a record high. According to Parliament UK, this figure has reached an alarming 2.5m.

Analysis of flows between October to December 2022 and January to March 2023 reveals a record high net flow of individuals transitioning from economic inactivity to employment. This shift was responsible for the increase in employment.

Between February and April 2023, the estimated number of job vacancies declined by 55,000 from the previous quarter, amounting to 1,083,000 vacancies. This marks the 10th consecutive quarterly decrease in vacancies, reflecting industry uncertainties as survey respondents cite economic pressures hindering recruitment.

In January to March 2023, average total pay growth, including bonuses, was 5.8%, while regular pay growth, excluding bonuses, stood at 6.7% for employees. The private sector experienced a higher average regular pay growth rate of 7%, compared to the public sector’s 5.6% in the same period. The public sector’s growth rate exceeded the private sector’s for the first time since August to October 2003 (5.7%).

Adjusted for inflation, both total pay and regular pay experienced a decline in real terms in January to March 2023. Total pay fell by 3%, while regular pay decreased by 2%.

Labour disputes resulted in 556,000 working days lost in March 2023, an increase from 332,000 in February 2023.

The report indicates that unemployment is still a concern, which remains above pre-pandemic levels largely because of those who have been out of work for over a year.

Dr Lindsey Zuloaga, Chief Data Scientist at HireVue (used by Aldi, M&S and Unilever) believes one of the main reasons for persisting unemployment is outdated practices in the hiring process that omit certain individuals from landing a job, resulting in long-term unemployment.

Lindsey commented: “The unemployment rate in the UK has increased by 0.1% to 3.9%. There are now even more people out of work than before pre-pandemic employment levels. As it’s clear to every business, something is wrong either with the hiring process or with accessibility to jobs, as the number of jobseekers remains excessive, even though we are at a historically high vacancy rate. The question is: why are job seekers not attaining jobs while millions of roles sit empty? Our overattachment to the outdated CV, which is a mere indicator of employment history and not of skills or abilities, could be at the heart of these rising unemployment rates”.

Steve Sully, Regional Director, Finance & Accounting, at Robert Half also made comment: “While there may be a fall noted in jobs in the UK, the uptick in the number of people in self-employment is indicative of a continued growth in demand for highly skilled professionals in particular.

Candidate confidence and a need for better take home pay. Despite an overall growth in average pay noted by the ONS, the data does show that when adjusted for inflation, remuneration actually fell 3% for total pay year-on-year for Q1 of this year. With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to impact households across the country, this drop in pay could be driving more people into self-employment and contract work which can often be more lucrative for highly skilled professionals.”

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UK employers ignore calls for salary transparency on job ads

Job ads with a salary receive 6x more applications

The proportion of UK job ads including vital salary information has slipped to a seven year low as employers ignore calls for salary transparency.

Adzuna – a job search engine company – analysed 80 million UK job ads advertised between 2016 and April 2023 to highlight the sectors, regions, and companies who are most and least transparent about pay.

Despite the data showing job ads with a salary receive 6x more applications, 51.5% of UK job ads disclose salary in April 2023 – down from 61.4% in April 2022.

Key report findings:

  • Energy, oil and gas sector sees largest fall, followed by admin and trade and construction
  • Most secretive sectors: retail, scientific and QA, creative and design
  • West Midlands is the most straight talking with 55.6% of job ads disclosing pay
  • Only 29.5% of job ads in Northern Ireland feature salaries, the lowest of any region, followed by Scotland (41.7%), Wales (47.0%) and London (49.7%).

Job vacancies have slipped -19.5% across the UK and the labour market has become tighter. Falling salary transparency suggests employers may be using this shift in power to rein in salary disclosure and keep a tight lid on budgets when filling roles.

Only 26.8% of Retail jobs included salary information in April 2023, falling 14 percentage points (pp) from 40.8% a year ago. The next worst offending sectors are Scientific and Quality Assurance (QA) (29.3%) and Creative and Design (31.1%).

Compared to a year ago, salary transparency has slipped fastest in the Energy, Oil and Gas sector, where the proportion of job ads disclosing salary information has fallen by 17.5 pp from 50.9% to 33.4%. Similarly, fewer salary details are on offer for admin jobs compared to a year ago, down 17.1pp from 73.0% to 55.9%. Trade and Construction saw the third largest fall, down 16.3pp from 69.1% to 52.8%.

Voluntary jobs are most likely to include pay information, with 84.3% of job ads disclosing salary in April 2023, followed by Social Work roles (72.9%) and Logistics and Warehouse positions (70.9%).

London has been cited as having both the worst ethnicity pay gap and worst gender pay gap, suggesting a correlation between a lack of transparency and inequality.

Andrew Hunter, cofounder of Adzuna, said: “Compared to last year, the power in the jobs market has shifted back to companies and we are seeing fewer job ads disclosing the salary as employers find it easier to fill positions. As well as making the job hunting process less stressful and less time consuming for jobseekers, salary transparency is a crucial step towards eliminating pay gaps in the jobs market.”

 

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BFSI job vacancies reach record highs in march as non-metro cities boost growth in vacancies

Job vacancies in BFSI sector in India hit all-time high

In March 2023, job vacancies in the BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) sector in India reached an all-time high, breaking previous records. This was reflected in the Naukri Jobspeak Index for Banking/Finance/Broking, which soared to 4,555, up 45% from the previous year’s figure of 3,138. The growth was fueled by the expansion of digital banking services, which has led to vacancies in cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Kolkata, increasing by 145%, 72%, and 49% respectively.

The insurance sector saw a staggering 108% growth in new job creation in March 2023 compared to the same month last year, driven by jobs related to selling insurance products.

In contrast, the IT sector saw a decline in hiring, with a 17% drop in new job creation compared to March last year. High-demand roles such as big data engineers, DevOps, and software development engineers also saw a decline in vacancies. However, the demand for emerging roles like machine learning saw an uptick.

In other non-tech sectors, new jobs created in Oil, Real Estate, FMCG, and Hospitality increased by 36%, 31%, 14%, and 7%, respectively, compared to last year. But certain non-tech sectors such as retail, education, and BPO showed cautious hiring sentiment with a decline in hiring activity.

Non-metro cities continue to act as growth drivers in the white-collar job market, with Vadodara leading the hiring trends followed by Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Kochi. In metro cities, Mumbai and Delhi/NCR observed positive hiring momentum, driven primarily by the insurance sector.

Mid-level professionals saw an increase in hiring activity, registering a growth of 14% compared to the previous year, whereas hiring activity for entry-level professionals remained unchanged.

According to Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer of Naukri.com, the BFSI sector’s growth in a cautious job market signals resilience of the Indian economy, and non-metro cities are proving to be the catalysts for change, redefining the employment narrative in India. The Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly Index representing the state of the Indian job market & hiring activity based on new job listings and job-related searches by recruiters on the CV database on Naukri.com.

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Hospitality sector hit by rising wage demands and supply costs

Demand for UK hospitality workers soars by 46% 

Employers across the UK are struggling to find staff – with the highest number of job vacancies in London, according to a new survey. 

 Research by Indeed Flex, the online staffing platform for temporary work, reveals the biggest jump in demand for warehouse workers was in the North East, seeing a 106% increase in job adverts towards the end of 2022, while Scotland saw a 61% increase.  

With soaring supply costs and rising wage demands amid the cost-of-living crisis, businesses in the hospitality sector are feeling the pinch.   

  • The number of online job adverts for hospitality workers in the North East has more than doubled since 2019. 
  • The UK has seen 46% more job adverts for hospitality staff since the pandemic. 
  • London had the highest total number of job vacancies, with 10,460 positions advertised online in December 2022, an increase of 26% compared to pre-pandemic levels.  

It was hoped that hospitality job roles might be added to the Government’s shortage occupation list, making it easier for businesses to recruit from abroad. However, the Migration Advisory Committee only added construction roles. Recent research from Indeed Flex found 58% of businesses will be turning to temporary workers to support their permanent teams this year. A quarter of HR professionals, whose business already uses temporary workers, expect to increase the use of temps this year. 

Novo Constare, CEO and Co-founder of Indeed Flex, said: “During the pandemic, hospitality was hit the hardest. Many businesses were forced to close for long periods and thousands of people were furloughed or made redundant. The uncertainty in the hospitality sector made many workers seek employment. Unfortunately, not all staff returned. On top of rising costs and stretched budgets, it’s a difficult position for companies to be in and many businesses have come to see temporary staff as a vital resource.”

 For more information, visit  www.indeedflex.co.uk  

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Job vacancies offering remote work decline in Singapore

Singapore sees drop in remote work opportunities and increase in skill-based hiring

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the number of job vacancies offering remote work in Singapore dropped to 21% in 2022 from 31% the previous year. This was due to the normalization of remote work trends as more workplace activities resumed on-site when pandemic-related restrictions eased in 2022. However, vacancies for professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMET) were still more likely to offer remote working options than non-PMET roles. Additionally, certain sectors, such as construction, did not have many remote work options due to the nature of the work.

The report also found that employers in Singapore were less likely to consider academic qualifications when hiring new employees. In 74% of vacancies in 2022, academic qualifications were not the main determinant in hiring, which indicates a shift towards skill-based hiring. For PMET vacancies where qualifications were not the main determinant, skills and work attitude of the job applicant were the key considerations. This trend has been gaining momentum in Singapore since 2017.

The number of job vacancies in Singapore remained elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, with PMET roles forming the majority of these vacancies. Newly created positions made up 39% of all job vacancies, with the Information and Communications sector having the highest proportion (69%) for new positions. Meanwhile, the proportion of replacement vacancies increased to 61% in 2022 from 56% the previous year as employers were actively looking to fill positions left vacant during the pandemic.

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Haragopal for legislation to resolve unemployment issue

Activist, BSP leader demand action on Telangana paper leak, unemployment

Well-known civil rights activist Prof G Haragopal expressed deep concern about the high rate of unemployment in the State and the country. He emphasized the need to enact an Employment Act that would make it mandatory to fill all existing vacancies in the State and Central government sector immediately. Speaking at a roundtable conference organized by Telangana Jana Samithi on the topic of “TSPSC paper leakage, government failure, and ordeal of unemployed,” Prof Haragopal highlighted the importance of employment in the slogan for the separate Telangana movement. He criticized the State government for the decadelong delay in recruitment and the leak of TSPSC question papers.

BSP State President and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar questioned the competence of the SIT probing the TSPSC question paper leak case. He alleged that the root cause lies in the official residence of the chief minister, Pragathi Bhavan, and demanded a CBI inquiry into the paper leakage scam and an inquiry by a sitting judge on the lapses in TSPSC.

At the conference, resolutions were passed demanding inquiries and actions to address the issue of employment and the TSPSC paper leakage scam. The conference was attended by several senior leaders, including former IAS officer Akunuri Murali, Prof PL Vishweshar Rao, PoW Jhansi, Venkatesh Chowhan, and others.

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Canadian job vacancies fall by 78,600 in Q4

However, employment increased by 0.9%

According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadian job vacancies fell by 8.2%, or 78,600, in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive quarter to a total of 876,300. The national job vacancy rate declined by 4.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022.Job vacancies declined in 16 of 20 broad industrial sectors and seven of 10 broad occupational groups in the fourth quarter.

In addition, job vacancies declined in 20 of 69 economic regions. The largest decreases were in Laurentides, Quebec, at 28.8%, followed by Winnipeg, Manitoba, at 23.4%.

However, employment increased by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, the seventh consecutive quarterly increase. Employment has continued to increase in 2023, adding 150,000 jobs in January followed by little change in February with 22,000 jobs.

Canada’s unemployment rate was 5.1% in the fourth quarter, little changed from the third quarter and just above the record low of 4.9% reached in June and July of 2022.

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Modest employment growth, according to ONS latest figures

Average regular pay growth for the private sector was 7%

UK employment rates continue to show modest growth, with the employment rate rising 0.1% to 75.7% between November 2022 and January 2023. The increase in employment was mainly driven by part-time employees and self-employed workers, according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The timeliest estimate of payrolled employees also showed an increase of 98,000 in February 2023 compared to January 2023, bringing the total to 30.0 million. However, the unemployment rate remained largely unchanged at 3.7% during the same period. The number of people who have been unemployed for over 12 months saw a slight increase in the latest three-month period.

Economic inactivity, on the other hand, decreased by 0.2% to 21.3% in November 2022 to January 2023. This was driven by people aged 16 to 24 years, and by people who are inactive because they are students or retired.

However, the estimated number of vacancies fell by 51,000 on the quarter to 1,124,000 in December 2022 to February 2023. This marks the eighth consecutive period of declining vacancies and reflects uncertainty across industries, as respondents continue to cite economic pressures as a factor in holding back recruitment.

The report also showed growth in average total pay (including bonuses) of 5.7%, while growth in regular pay (excluding bonuses) was 6.5% among employees in November 2022 to January 2023. Average regular pay growth for the private sector was 7.0%, compared to 4.8% for the public sector. However, in real terms, growth in total and regular pay fell by 3.2% and 2.4%, respectively, after adjusting for inflation.

Labour disputes also saw a decline, with only 220,000 working days lost in January 2023, compared to 822,000 in December 2022. Meanwhile, workforce jobs rose by 211,000 on the quarter to a new record high of 36.4 million, with six of the 20 industry sectors reaching record high levels in December 2022.

Overall, the latest report from the ONS indicates a mixed picture of the UK’s labour market, with modest employment growth and declining vacancies but still some uncertainty across industries.

Lauren Thomas, Glassdoor Economist commented: “Wage growth may be hitting record highs but this is not being felt in workers’ pockets. Glassdoor’s data shows discussion around inflation and the cost of living is up 171% year-on-year. Employers need to consider how they can help their workforce through this difficult period – whether that’s through pay rises, other benefits, or improving working conditions.

Kate Shoesmith, Deputy Chief Executive of REC, said: “Our analysis shows that labour and skills shortages could cost the UK economy up to £39 billion per year from 2024 – around the same as two Elizabeth lines. Government and business must reach out and help those furthest away from the labour market into work if we are to fill new job vacancies – which our own data shows hit a 14-month high in February.

“Firms can also step up on how they employ and engage. The government can help business by taking the big opportunity in the Budget tomorrow to provide clarity and stability on its growth plans. It is a big test for the Chancellor on skills, transport and tax. We need to see creative and revitalised policies on tackling economic inactivity, from rethinking low-skilled immigration policy to support for the over 50s.”

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The hottest jobs in 2023 revealed

Interpreters top the tables for the biggest pay rise

New research from Adzuna has revealed the trending jobs for 2023. The job search engine company looked at over 1 million advertised job vacancies during November 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.

The research showed that the job getting the biggest pay increase is Interpreter, with an 81% year-on-year rise in the average advertised salary. This comes as no surprise in an increasingly globalised economy. Similarly, demand for Interpreters has increased from 632 to 1,945 jobs (+208%) in the past year. As a result, it now ranks 9th in the top 10 job titles with the biggest vacancy growth ranking.

The following jobs also saw significant average salary increases:

  • Cost Engineer (+62%),
  • Foster Care Support Worker (+57%)
  • QA/QC Officer (+54%)
  • Business Intelligence Manager (+31%)
  • Membership Manager (+30%)
  • Performance Manager (+30%)

Job candidates in the health and social care-related fields are also being offered higher salaries than before:

  • Community Care Worker (+45%)
  • Behaviour Support Worker (+30%)
  • Live-in Nanny (+25%)
  • Health and Social Care Teacher (+23%)
  • Children Residential Support Worker (+22%)
  • Social Care Worker (+22%)

Job roles with the highest increase in vacancies

Regarding the increase in vacancies, the top job was Cyber Security Engineer (+1,217%), with close to 1,500 advertised job openings in Nov 2022, compared to 113 jobs a year ago. The role also ranked ninth with the most increased advertised salary in the UK (+35%), this being driven by the dramatic rise in cybercrime and internet fraud.

The UK also saw a substantial vacancy growth in construction jobs:

  • Scaffolder (+470%)
  • Painter (+382%)
  • Tile Fitter (+377%)
  • Landscaper (+343%)
  • Roofer (+290%)
  • Bricklayer (+178%)
  • Plasterer (+121%)
  • Handyman (+67%)

Brexit has partly driven the upsurge in openings in the construction field. This is because the construction industry relied heavily on EU workers before the UK decided to leave the EU.

The air travel industry is slowly recovering and shows an increase in the vacant roles of crew member (+294%) and Travel Consultant (+67%).

The hospitality & catering, and retail sectors are also recovering, and increases were noted in the following job titles:

  • Barista (+256%)
  • Warehouse Assistant (+117%)
  • Store Assistant (+94%)
  • Customer Service Assistant (+82%)
  • Kitchen Manager (+77%)

Best-paid and most-wanted occupations

Chief Financial Officer is the best-paid job in the finance, IT, and healthcare sectors, followed by Consultant Psychiatrist and Quant Developer.

With pressure on companies to stick to tight budgets, finance jobs such as Tax Director, Quantitative Analyst, and Strategy Director are well rewarded.

Technology continues to play an active role in the world, meaning that IT careers are lucrative regardless of rank. As a result, Java Developer and DevOps Engineer roles also see some of the highest advertised vacancies.

In the medical and dental sector, advertised salaries for roles such as Specialised Doctor, Dental Practitioner, and GP remain much higher than most jobs in the UK.

Job roles with the most openings

The top five jobs with the highest number of advertised vacancies are:

  • Social Care Worker (25,438 jobs)
  • Warehouse Worker (15,321 jobs)
  • Software Developer (11,123 jobs)
  • Nurse (10,022 jobs)
  • Engineer (9,231 jobs)

Generally speaking, market demand for non-skilled roles and teaching roles is high:

  • Warehouse Worker, Cleaner (8,415 jobs)
  • Delivery Driver (7,369 jobs)
  • Housekeeper (3,432 jobs)
  • Vehicle Technician (3,428 jobs)
  • Security Guard (3,404 jobs)
  • Teaching Assistant (8,643 jobs)
  • Personal Trainer (8,124 jobs)
  • Driving Instructor (6,589 jobs)
  • Tutor (5,961 jobs)
  • SEN Assistant (5,692 jobs)
  • Primary School Teacher (4,107 jobs)

Paul Lewis, Chief Customer Officer at job search engine Adzuna, commented: “After a turbulent two years, jobseekers are reassessing what they want, and we’re seeing that compensation and job security are of increasing importance when it comes to pursuing an open role. Despite a gloomy economic climate, our findings show that job opportunities within the finance, IT, healthcare, and education sectors remain strong. The pandemic spurred businesses to go digital, which opened an entirely new global market. This has catalysed the demand for language specialists who can help with localisation such as Interpreters. On the other hand, because of the growing prevalence of digital markets, there are more cybercrimes, which calls for IT specialists like Cyber Security Engineers.”

 

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