According to the most recent statistics, recruitment circumstances improved during the month, with recruiting activity, recruitment difficulties, and staffing expectations all relaxing.
Recruitment activity declined by 2 percentage points, with 49% of firms recruiting – 10 percentage points lower than the peak recorded at this time last year (the series peaked at 59% in May and July 2022).
Regional and city employers both recruited less in June, while regional firms continued to recruit more frequently than their capital city counterparts (54% vs. 46%).
The number of firms intending to expand staffing levels in the next three months fell by three percentage points, to 21% of those polled. This reduction was visible in all major cities and regions.
Recruitment difficulties declined by 4 percentage points over the month, reaching 63% of all recruiting employers in June 2023 (representing 30% of all businesses, down from 34% in May).
Recruitment difficulties decreased by 3 percentage points in capital cities to 62% of recruiting companies during the month, while regional firms reported a 5-percentage point decline to 64%.
REOS quarterly results:
The survey’s detailed quarterly data revealed decreasing recruiting activity across all states in the June quarter of 2023. The largest quarterly declines were reported in New South Wales (down 9 percentage points) and Tasmania (down 7 percentage points).
In contrast to the monthly results, quarterly survey data suggest an increase in recruiting difficulties during the previous quarter, warning us not to put too much attention on month-to-month survey fluctuations.
Recruitment difficulties increased in all states (except Washington) throughout the quarter. The results of the following several surveys will shed further light on companies’ recruitment challenges.
