Trade wars, volatile commodity prices and holiday season factors all contributed to a fall in job vacancies in the latter stages of 2018.
Analysis from DFP Recruitment’s national Mining and Resources Job Index indicated widespread slumps, with job vacancies dropping 3.9 per cent.
Despite the late decrease, year-on-year job vacancies were 11.1 per cent higher in the mining and resources sector for November 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
However, growth has certainly slowed and vacancies have actually decreased in the closing months of 2018, with a 1.5 per cent drop wiping out some of the strong growth from earlier in the year.
From a long-term perspective, DFP reports the trades and operators category as the most buoyant sub-sector, achieving record high results since research began in 2013.
Permanent job vacancies led the way in 2018, up by 19.1 per cent year-on-year, but fell 3.9 per cent for the month.
Temporary/contractor job vacancies have remained very flat, up by just 0.4 per cent year on year, following a 4.1 per cent fall.
Job opportunities fell in Western Australia in November by 2.5 per cent, and after solid increases over the past 12 months, remain up 21.4 per cent year-on-year.
Vacancies in Queensland have been more volatile, falling 5.9 per cent in November and up just 1.6 per cent over 12 months.
Metal ore mining continues to lead the jobs market, with the greatest market share of vacancies, up 16.9 per cent over 12 months, despite being down 6.2 per cent in November.
Coal and mineral mining vacancies continue to be volatile month to month, up 13 per cent in 12 months, but falling 11 per cent for the month.
The oil and gas sector was the only sector to grow in November, up 0.9 per cent, achieving growth of 10.8 per cent over 12 months.
All occupational groups fell in November, including engineering which had its first fall since April.
“Opportunities in operational management remain the most limited and continued weakness has seen this category with the lowest index amongst all categories,” DFP Recruitment CEO Robert van Stokrom said.
