Job vacancies in Australia rose by 2.9% in the three months to May 2025, recovering from a 4.3% decline in the previous quarter ending in February, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The increase was driven by openings in the construction and professional sectors, with vacancies in the private and public sectors rising by 3.2% and 0.6%, respectively.
Vacancies increased in eight of the 18 industries surveyed, with the largest gains recorded in construction and in professional, scientific, and technical services. Conversely, the biggest declines occurred in wholesale trade and electricity, gas, water & waste services. Despite the quarterly rebound, total job openings were still down 2.8% from May last year, at 339,400, though the smallest annual decline in two years.
