14 January 2008

Labour market positive for Australian immigration

Australia's labour market continues to be tight, creating opportunities for people interested in Australian immigration, according to the latest SEEK Employment Index. Despite a slowing of activity just before Christmas, the last six months of 2007 saw the index rise by 7.7 per cent.

Employers are finding it increasingly difficult to fill positions as the number of new job advertisements increased by 35.5 per cent last year. The second half of the year saw growth of 22.9 per cent.

The resources boom continued to drive strong growth in Western Australia and Queensland. The state of New South Wales was the weakest performer but even NSW enjoyed annual job growth of 20 per cent.

"Western Australia and Queensland provided the major talking points of 2007," commented SEEK sales director Joe Powell. "Galloping demand for skilled positions relating to the mining sector, and a considerable lag in supply served as a handbrake on Australia's economic growth and is an area we need to continue to watch in 2008," he said.

"NSW experienced the lowest annual growth in new job ads posted during 2007. At first glance it might seem that the state is lagging behind its counterparts, however on closer examination, it probably means that NSW is actually enjoying a more stable employment market where employers are having more success in filling positions."

The jobs Australian employers are finding it hardest to fill are senior associate solicitors, landscape architects, emergency services personnel in the defence sector, policy and planning people in corporate strategy, and pharmaceutical roles.

Australia needs skilled workers: Anyone applying for an Australia skilled visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.