February sees seasonal rise in payroll jobs

ABS has observed a 2% rise in payroll jobs in the month to Feb. 17.

Bjorn Jarvis (pictured above), ABS head of labour statistics, attributed the growth to the typical seasonal pattern of business activity resuming post-summer break.

“The rise… followed the regular seasonal pattern of business activity increasing as people return to work after their summer break,” Jarvis said.

Education and training spearhead job growth

This year’s job market growth, consistent with the patterns observed since 2020, owed much to the education and training sector. Despite the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this sector has consistently provided a strong seasonal contribution.

“The education and training industry accounted for around 44% of the total rise in payroll jobs as students returned to studies across the country, and workers in the industry started or returned to their jobs,” Jarvis said in a media release.

State and territory breakdown of payroll increases

Significant payroll job increases were recorded across all Australian states and territories, with notable rises in Northern Territory (3.1%), Victoria (2.5%), and South Australia (2.3%).

Annual growth trends in the Australian job market

While the payroll jobs growth from 2023 to 2024 reflected a continuation of seasonal trends, annual growth has decelerated compared to the 2022-23 period, ABS data showed.

“We continue to see lower annual growth in payroll jobs through 2023-24 than through 2022-23,” Jarvissaid.

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