Data for May shows online job vacancies in the Far North have jumped again and are now up 102.6% for the year. However, despite solid improvements in JobSeeker numbers in the region, those registered at CentreLink remain elevated compared to the pre-COVID period.
The vacancy numbers confirm what many on the ground are saying about the difficulties in attracting staff, while the fact that JobSeekers remain elevated suggests we are seeing some skills mismatch between those registered as unemployed and the jobs being advertised.