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Australia – Job vacancies taking longer to fill

27 March 2015

Job vacancies in Australia that have remained unfilled for 30 days will more than likely remain unfilled for three months, according to a report entitled “The 30-Day Tipping Point”; compiled by job search site Indeed and the UK’s Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), reports hospitalitymagazine.com.au.

Paul D’Arcy, Senior Vice President at job board Indeed said that such delays can result in a host of negative consequences for businesses; including longer working hours for existing employees, a lower quality of work and reduced morale – ultimately leading to higher staff turnover.

“This research demonstrates that employers must keep a close eye on the time taken to fill positions. We have identified a ‘tipping point’ of 30 days. If a position remains unfilled after the first month of it being advertised, it is highly likely that the employer will struggle to fill this role within three months – meaning a potentially negative impact to the productivity of their business.”

Although the numbers may look discouraging, Mr D'Arcy says that Australia fares better than a number of other key developed markets when it comes to filling vacancies.

In Australia 72% of job vacancies are filled within one month. This compares with 54% of UK job vacancies, and only 48% of US jobs.

 “The number of jobs remaining unfilled for long periods of time is lower in Australia than in other markets, such as the US, the UK, and Germany. Today the labour market in Australia favours employers, who are able to fill most of their positions relatively quickly by global standards,” he added.