Spike in job ads inspite of traditionally quiet Christmas period

Online job ads for the advertising and media sectors enjoyed a 18.5 per cent hike during December, reversing the 1.7 per cent fall it experienced the previous month.  

The latest national figures from the Olivier Job Index revealed that employer demand was strongest in New South Wales, Victoria, West Australia and Tasmania.

The growth has come during the traditionally quiet Christmas period. Some are attributing the shift as a sign that businesses are gaining more confidence in the recovery of the economy.

In NSW, the number of job ads rose 2.5 per cent during December, while in Victoria it rose 1.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the sales and marketing sectors saw a slight fall of 0.9 per cent during December. This was in contrast to the 1.7 per cent month on month rise it experienced in November.

In other sectors, administration, clerical and office support was strong with a 14.1 per cent rise during December. Building and construction experienced a 8.1 per cent rise; human resources rose by 5 per cent; and financial services similarly rose 4.3 per cent.

The legal professional saw the biggest fall, down 8.1 per cent, while online job ads for accounting fell 5.6 per cent.