WA job vacancies hit record high, new data reveals

Adrian LoweThe West Australian
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Camera IconNationally, there were 396,100 job vacancies in November, 18.5 per cent more than in August 2021. Credit: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

The number of vacant jobs in WA has hit its highest in nearly four decades as the skills crunch continues.

Vacancies jumped nearly 17 per cent in the November quarter last year, Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Wednesday revealed, putting the number of positions available at 60,800.

WA’s quarterly growth was behind all other States and Territories except Queensland and the Northern Territory — but WA is the only State to have experienced quarterly growth since August 2020.

Nationally, there were 396,100 job vacancies in November, 18.5 per cent more than in August 2021.

“The number of job vacancies in November was around 74 per cent higher than it was before the start of the pandemic,” said ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis.

“These figures continue to show the high demand for workers from businesses emerging from lockdowns, together with ongoing labour shortages, particularly in lower paying industries.”

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