Payroll jobs have witnessed a 0.5% increase in the month to Dec. 9, ABS reported.
David Taylor, ABS head of labour statistics, attributed the rise to robust growth in the retail trade industry, constituting approximately 40% of the total surge in payroll jobs.
“This seasonal increase usually peaks at the end of the year, before the number of jobs noticeably falls after Christmas and into January,” Taylor said.
Retail trade jobs showed a seasonal increase of 1.9%, with similar patterns observed in other sectors as the holiday period approached. This was followed by the transport, postal, and warehousing industry, which experienced a 1% increase, then by arts and recreation services, which saw a 0.9% rise.
“Weekly data provides useful insights into how the number of jobs changes through the course of the year, industry by industry, leading into the end of year peak,” Taylor said. “Across late December and January, they also show the extent of seasonal change in the labour market, as parents and carers take time off and businesses reduce their operations during the summer holidays.”
Amid high seasonality, with no seasonally adjusted figures, annual estimates aid in interpreting data by reducing the seasonal effect.
“Over the year we have consistently seen annual growth in payroll jobs continue to slow, falling from between 5% to 6% in the first half of 2023, to around 2% to 3.5% in the second half of 2023,” Taylor said.
“However, it is also important to remember that this slower growth follows a particularly strong period of growth through 2022-23.”
Taylor highlighted a consistent slowdown in annual growth in payroll jobs throughout the year, dropping from 5-6% in the first half of 2023 to around 2-3.5% in the second half. Despite the slowdown, Taylor noted that this followed a notably strong growth period in 2022-23.
The positive trend extended across all states and territories, with Tasmania leading the way with a 1.1% increase, followed by Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, all experiencing a 0.6% rise.
“Over the month, Retail trade jobs accounted for a large share of total jobs growth across the states and territories,” Taylor said.
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