It is out – the annual CareerOne Hunting The (Hidden) Hunters report, detailing the factors affecting the Australian jobs market for 2012 and showing who, out there, is actively seeking a change of position. And what does it tell us?
Like everything in life there is good with the bad. While many are looking for a new job due to financial and economic considerations, some are seeking a change with a long term view of a better career path, and then some seem quite content to stay right where they are.
According to the report, ‘there is a growing undercurrent of uncertainty at the state of the Australian economy with nearly twice as many respondents saying ‘I’m very concerned about the state of the economy’, jumping from 11% in 2011 to 20% in 2012’. This concern about the economy is felt more prevalently in industries such as hospitality and tourism, agriculture and manufacturing and retail and sales. Here we see the pressure of the high Australian dollar come into play.
We have seen significant increases in job satisfaction – in fact the rate is back to the level experienced in 2010 and this is across all areas such as flexibility, job security, hours worked and even remuneration.
While the number of people actively job hunting has declined. There are 310,000 Australian that are more comfortable in their current position than last year although 79% are open to new job opportunities.
One in three women is actively looking for a job in part due to the fact that around 40% are experiencing a state of financial stress.
The main push factors that are influencing the move to seek out a new job are the desire for something new, a clearer career path and better work conditions. People are increasingly seeking out these conditions via mobile phone, social media and job websites.
A major area of consideration in job trends is that of specific industries, divided into those that are doing well in the current climate, those remaining steady and those that are under pressure.
- Doing well – Finance, technology, mining and professional services industries;
- Steady – Government, health, education, charity and social industries;
- Under pressure – Manufacturing, logistics, property, trades (not involved in mining), hospitality, administration, retail and sales industries
Even with just a basic understanding of Australia’s current situation, many would not find this result particularly surprising.
Age has a lot to do with economic concerns and job hunting activity. Those aged 35-54 years (those most likely to have a mortgage and school aged children) are more likely to be concerned about the economy, more likely to be actively job hunting, are finding it more difficult on their current income and also have the least job satisfaction.
While figures of those actively job hunting has declined in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, the activity has increased in Western Australia and South Australia, bucking the national trend.
Whether you are actively job hunting or not, it pays to be aware of the factors affecting the employment market in order to make an informed decision about your career path.
