Australia’s job market showed mixed signals in October, with hiring demand softening across most industries but rising for human resources and recruitment roles, according to SEEK’s latest Employment Report.
Job ads for HR and recruitment roles increased 0.6% in October, placing the sector among the few professional services industries that recorded positive movement. Only the legal sector performed slightly better, with a 0.9% lift in job postings for the month.
The rise stands in contrast to the national picture. Overall job ads fell 0.4% month-on-month, extended a modest 0.3% drop over the quarter, and slid 2.2% year-on-year. SEEK senior economist Blair Chapman said weaker demand in the professional services and public sectors weighed heavily on national figures, while healthcare, medical, retail and consumer product roles also saw declines.
Some industries, however, bucked the trend. Real estate and property led with 1.4% monthly growth in job ads, followed by manufacturing (1.1%) and construction (1.0%). Chapman noted the pockets of growth reflect ongoing demand across construction and industrial sectors, particularly in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
Queensland posted the strongest rise among states, lifting job ads by 0.5%, driven by trades and services (1.7%) and manufacturing (1%). South Australia (0.2%) and Western Australia (0.1%) also saw marginal increases, while most other states recorded declines.
At the same time, applications per job ad continued to climb. Applications rose 1.3% in September, extending more than three years of uninterrupted monthly growth. Chapman said this trend typically intensifies toward year-end, as hiring activity slows but jobseekers become more active heading into the new year.
Earlier data from Jobs and Skills Australia also highlighted slowing recruitment activity across several states, with 70% of online job ads concentrated in metropolitan areas, underscoring ongoing regional disparities.