Only New South Wales reached a higher growth rates in these latest statistics. In Queensland, roughly 26,500 new jobs have been created in August alone. In the last year, this adds up to 64,400 new jobs across the state, once the figures have been adjusted for seasonal variations.
These findings come on top of recent figures which point to the growing demand for skilled workers. Areas like healthcare and construction are expected to see a rapid increase in the number of individuals needed to fill skill shortages, with an apprenticeship or traineeship often needed to get into these industries.
Treasurer Tim Nicholls pointed out that these increases in employment were being supported with improvements in other measures as well.
“Unemployment in Queensland is sitting at 6.7 per cent, both on trend and seasonally adjusted measures,” said Mr Nicholls. “While our economy is growing strongly there is more work to be done to ensure all Queenslanders are sharing in that growth.”
At the same time, the seasonally adjusted labour force participation rate for Queensland has increased marginally, with Mr Nicholls highlighting a 0.5 per cent growth in this measure. As labour force participation expands and unemployment decreases, there is good news for those seeking an apprenticeship in Queensland.
Good signs across Australia
It isn’t just Queensland that is benefiting from better employment conditions, with the ABS finding that the number of unemployed people has decreased across the country. In fact, August saw 33,500 fewer unemployed Australians than the preceding month, suggesting that Queensland isn’t the only state to be growing strongly.
At the same time, the ABS estimated that 112,000 positions have been added across the country in August, representing a significant boost for those looking for work. A big chunk of this change has come from those seeking part-time work, with both men and women in this category finding new employment opportunities.
These levels of employment haven’t been seen in Australia for more than twelve months, with this latest increase lifting the employment rate above 61 per cent.
With Australia’s employment growing strongly, and Queensland ranking highly in this increase, there is clearly strong demand for new workers. If this demand continues it will be good news for the state’s future apprentices and trainees.
By Leanne de Toerkenczy, Public Relations Coordinator
