How is the job market in Perth?

This article is recommended for both employers and job seekers

Christian Madsen

Written by Christian Madsen

Managing Director of 11 Recruitment



 Australia's job market is on fire!

The Australian job market is on fire! It's a boom like no other we've seen in recent years.

From 11.4 million people employed in 2012, we've skyrocketed to a record-breaking 13.7 million in 2023.  In addition to the rise in employment, our unemployment rate has dropped dramatically from 6.3% in 2014 to a low of 3.5% at the end of 2022, the lowest it's been in half a century!

Australia's job market is booming | How is the job market in Perth?

Low unemployment

Breaking down the unemployment rate by state to a state / territory level:

  • The NT has the highest rate of unemployment at 4%
  • Followed by SA at 3.9%
  • Then QLD at 3.8%
  • Next is TAS at 3.6%
  • Then WA and VIC at 3.5%
  • The NSW is the second lowest at 3.1%
  • Finally, the ACT has the lowest unemployment rate at 2.8%

It's important to note that the natural unemployment rate sits at about 4% to 5%, and anything below this puts a strain on the labour market and increases the demand for higher salaries.

The Australian job market's strength is a significant achievement considering how turbulent it was only three years ago. At the beginning of 2020, Australia's unemployment rate sat at 3.5%. However, with the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, the unemployment rate shot up to 7.5% within just three months.

Fortunately, the Australian government launched a massive financial support program that helped to quickly recover job losses. Within a year, the number of job ads lost was fully regained, and the unemployment rate continued its downward trend, leading to the job market boom we see today.

Decade low unemployment | How is the job market in Perth?

 A closer look at WA...

Every morning since 2008 and up until today, I have recorded the number of job ads posted on SEEK for Perth so I can provide WA job market updates.

As you can see in the graph below, we have had two peaks in the number of job ads posted.

  • The first was in 2008 just before the GFC
  • The second was at the height of the mining boom

The dips you can see every year occur over Christmas and the summer holidays where the ads start to decline in November and rise again in early January.

However, when COVID-19 hit our shores, job ads posted from Perth decreased by a whopping 63%! But, despite the massive decrease in job ads, Western Australia experienced an amazing recovery. 

After this massive drop in job ads, we had an amazing recovery.

So, how is the job market in Perth now?

WA job market update | How is the job market in Perth?

Job ads posted on SEEK for Perth | Perth job market update 2023


How is the job market in Perth?

Today, the number of job ads posted on SEEK for Perth has regained all the jobs lost and more. Although the number of job ads posted plateaued in 2022 and slightly decreased in 2023, it remains exceptionally high, and employers will continue to struggle to source new employees. This is great news for job hunters and those entering the job market as there will be more opportunities to choose from.

In conclusion, the Australian job market boom is a testament to the country's resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Australian government's swift action and support helped the job market recover quickly, leading to record-breaking employment and low unemployment rates. With more opportunities available, job hunters and new entrants to the job market have plenty of options to choose from in the future.

Perth job market update 2022 | How is the job market in Perth?


Christian Madsen

What are your thoughts?

I'd love to have a conversation with you about this topic - please leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or opinions 🙂

Christian Madsen

Managing Director of 11 Recruitment

  • Simukayi Shonhe says:

    Thank you for informative statistics. Would love to migrate to Australia.

    Thank you sir.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      No problem, Simukay. I’m glad you enjoyed the update 🙂

  • Farideh Gibson says:

    I would like to contact someone to see if they can help me first before start sending CV etc. I looked at your website and most your vacancies are in admin departments. I have finished Certificate III & IV in training and assessment and been in fitness industry in the last 18 years. I would like to know which companies I could apply for work except TAFE. I also have a BSc in Science and Post graduate certificate from Murdoch Uni in renewable energy but not much experience in that field. Looking for Part-time position in Perth WA, happy to travel as long as get paid for travelling time. Appreciate your suggestions and advice on where to apply and what are my best options. Thank you.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Farideh, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      At 11 Recruitment, we work a little differently from most other recruitment agencies as we do not sell CVs but instead provide an outsourced recruitment service on a retainer basis. This means our recruiters typically only call or meet with applicants when a suitable role becomes available.

      I recommend you get in touch with some of the other recruitment agencies in Perth, as they are more likely to provide the services you are seeking. Depending on the kind of assistance you’re after, you may also want to Google “career advice Perth” and look through some of the website listings.

      You’re also welcome to submit your CV to us and we’ll be in touch if we have a vacancy that is suitable for you: https://11recruitment.com.au/job-seeker-services/submit-your-cv/

      I wish you all the best in your job search 🙂

  • John Salat says:

    Excellent information. Thank you

    • Christian Madsen says:

      No problem John. I’m glad to hear you found it valuable!

  • Hi Christian, thank you for sharing your insight into the job market particularly in WA. It was major relief when you highlighted that the recovery was V-shape. Lost of jobs were equal to GFC, but the recovery rate was better, so, great sigh of relief. Thank you.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Chemi, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. It was certainly a relief to many that the job market recovered so well – especially for people who lost their jobs during the worst of the pandemic. I’m glad you enjoyed the update.

  • Max Crostella says:

    Good research Christian.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Max, thanks for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the update 🙂

  • Hi Christian, thanks for sharing these valuable insights. The decline has certainly been felt across all industries. Given the curve dropped so dramatically within 4 weeks – it will be interesting to watch the road to recovery and if this will take 4 weeks or equally long as GFC recovery. Thanks again for sharing!

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Meike, thanks for your comment. Keep an eye out for my next video – it should answer some of your questions 🙂

  • Hi
    Do you have this for the rest of Australia
    Lindsay

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Lindsay, thanks for your interest. Currently, we only provide this analysis for the WA job market.

  • Hi Christian, very interesting thank you for sharing.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Glad to hear you found it of interest. I will make a new one shortly.

  • Gary Conigrave says:

    Thanks, It’s always better to know…about these things anyway.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Gary, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I fully agree with you – regardless of whether it’s good or bad news, it’s important to stay updated in order to make informed decisions.

  • Warren Niblock Bell says:

    Thanks Christian,

    Apprieciate the email and information.

    Kind Regards,

    Warren

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Warren, you’re most welcome. I’m glad you found the update valuable 🙂

  • Petra Cipriani says:

    Very interesting to see that my sector education and training increasing in job demands

  • Veronica Kumasan says:

    Hi, Christian,
    This is good for many who seek job on line. It will assist and motivate their understanding on how the jobs in Australia are marketable in various Industries.

  • Very well summarised Christian, I am intrigued to know if your prepared to forecast how the jobs market will be from supply, & services through to retail for the remainder of 2020

  • Alexander says:

    All I have seen and heard on the news about massive lay offs in all secures of all busineses

  • Great analysis of job market in WA,we hope for better numbers with the expectation on new mining development planned for next year. Thanks for sharing Christian!

  • Christian, brilliant work & appreciate your sincere views & stats on industries in WA, I would say that we are on an upwards trend with some bearish in betweens but overall there is some growth in WA.

    • Glad to hear you liked it Richard. Yes, the market is positive. We have more vacant jobs than we have had in the past 5 years.

  • Thank you Christian. It’s very interesting information. I was just searching for this information today! By the way, do you have any survey for the other states as well? How about Linkedin figures? Kind regards, Gilani

    • Hi Gilani, Glad to hear you found it interesting. If you tell me exactly what type of sections on SEEK you are interested in then I will try to include them in the next update.

  • I’ve been looking job for 3 months and haven’t got any, this is the job market in WA Perth.

    • Sorry to hear Indra you have been looking for this long. If you have done it already I suggest you download some of our free e-books on how to write “Great Cover Letters” and “7 top CV improvements”. Hope they will assist you a little.

  • Thanks for the update Christian. Always very informative, though not good news for WA this time. Would you be able to do another analysis of the eastern states?

  • Christian Rasmussen says:

    Thanks Christian, some good insights into the current WA job market.

  • Wow.. Christian .. great analysis.. Request you to please do the same for Melbourne. I am new to Australia. Currently in Perth, but looking out for jobs both in Melbourne /Perth

  • Thanks for the market analysis Christian. I’m suspecting more blood on the streets as the Banking RC recommendations unfold. I was in that industry for many years and feel for my friends & ex-colleagues who are facing an uncertain future.

    • One solution for the job hunters is to sharpen up their CV hunting skills including their CV and Cover Letter. As an example, 90% of the job applications I see are poor in presentation and job match. They are not even in the running for the job. Hence, I just launched a CV writing service to assist applicants getting closer to a job interview.

      • Very interesting and thanks for sharing your insight, Christian!!!
        How can I reach out to you if I would like to benefit from your CV writing professional services in Agile space? Thanks

  • John Salat says:

    Hi Christian,
    Very interesting numbers. I am following both seek and also Linkedin.

    • God to hear John you found the numbers interesting. I will keep you posted next time I update the video.

  • Great insights Christian. Some promising developments ahead for 2019 it appears in WA.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Shaun, thanks for your comment. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming months.

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Charles, you’re most welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the update 🙂

  • Hi Christian, great work on the numbers, I love numbers! I’m just interested to understand if you are able to involve any LinkedIn stats in this mix. I believe a lot of people are moving from Seek to LinkedIn for their hiring and job search needs in the professional sector. That dynamic is the biggest question I have over the numbers. Perhaps it makes the increase in job ads on Seek all the more impressive. Thanks in advance. Richard

    • Christian Madsen says:

      Hi Richard, I do not include LinkedIn in the stats as they are not available. However, LinkedIn has a very small marketshare and very few (almost none) advertise on LinkedIn alone. Everyone advertise on SEEK if they advertise…

  • Peter Banovich says:

    Interesting analysis Christian, thanks.

    • Good to hear Peter – Let me know if there are any SEEK categories you would like to explore more for you.

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