Job ad volumes on Australian job board Seek decreased were 15.7% lower year-on-year in March 2023.

The decline was led by the state of Victoria which reported a fall of 22.7% over the year. The Australian Capital Territory also reported a decline of 18.1%.

When compared to the previous month, job ads slipped by 0.6% in March. Applications per job ad rose from the month prior, increasing 4.0%.

As job ads fell only slightly, this shows applications picking up at a faster rate than job ads are falling, indicating increased activity among candidates. Applications per job ad remain below 2019 levels, but are 48.5% higher than they were in March 2022.   

By state, the Northern Territory led the decline in job ads in March with a fall of 3.0%. Tasmania recorded the greatest monthly increase, up 3.2%.

On a monthly basis, job ads increased the most in the Sport and Recreation industry (7.2%) while Farming, Animals and Conservation saw the biggest decline (9.7%).