Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey

Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey

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Information on this page is no longer updated and may be out of date. View the latest release on Jobs and Skills Australia.

The National Skills Commission surveys approximately 1,200 employers each month to find out about their experience when recruiting staff as well as whether they are expecting to increase staffing levels. This feedback provides insights about labour market conditions and to develop resources designed to help job seekers understand what employers are looking for.

Key indicators - October 2022

Recruitment activity Recruitment difficulty rate Expect to increase staff

58%

70%

31%

Monthly change: 0%pts
Yearly change: +13%pts
Monthly change: +3pts
Yearly change: +16%pts
Monthly change: +3%pts
Yearly change: +3%pts

Recruitment activity

In October 2022, 58% of employers reported recruitment activity – the same as last month and 13 percentage points higher than in October last year. It’s the equal-third highest monthly result since the beginning of the series in June 2020.

  • In Capital Cities the recruitment rate remained steady at 58% of employers, which is an equal- record high for this series. In Rest of State areas, the recruitment rate increased by 1 percentage point to 58% of employers.

Proportion of employers who were currently recruiting or who had recruited in the past month

Recruitment difficulty

The recruitment difficulty rate increased by 3 percentage points to 70% of recruiting employers (representing 41% of all employers) in October 2022. This is the third-highest monthly result on record (the peak of 75% was recorded in July 2022).

  • The recruitment difficulty rate jumped by 7 percentage points to 75% in Rest of State areas, while in Capital Cities it edged up by 1 percentage point to 67%.

Proportion of recruiting employers who had recruitment difficulty

Staff changes over the past month

In October 2022, employers more often reported an increase in their staffing levels over the month than a decrease.

  • 14% of employers increased staff numbers over the past month.
  • 11% of employers decreased staff numbers over the past month.
  • The ‘net staffing change’ (proportion of employers who increased staff minus the proportion that decreased staff) was +3 percentage points in October 2022.

Staffing outlook

Employers are asked how they expect their staffing levels to change over the next 3 months. In October 2022:

  • 31% of employers expected to increase staffing levels over the next three months, 3 percentage points more than in September 2022. 
  • 2% of employers expected to decrease their staffing levels over the next three months.

Proportion of employers expecting to increase staffing levels over the next 3 months

Recruitment Insights Report – monthly

The Recruitment Insights Report highlights key findings and trends in recruitment activity, recruitment difficulty and future staffing expectations. Each report is accompanied by an excel datafile containing time series data for each key indicator

Recruitment Insights Report - October 2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report - October 2022
346539 ↓ Download
Recruitment Insights Report - October 2022 data file.xlsx
Recruitment Insights Report - October 2022 Data File
1084570 ↓ Download
Previous reports

The September 2022 report features analysis on quarterly indicators by industry, State and remoteness.

Recruitment Insights Report - September 2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report September 2022
375160 ↓ Download

The August 2022 report provides updates on key indicators, however there is no Spotlight this month.

Recruitment Insights Report - August 2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report August 2022
366484 ↓ Download

The July 2022 report includes a spotlight on retention difficulty in 2021 and 2022.

Recruitment Insights Report - July 2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report July 2022
333724 ↓ Download

The June 2022 report includes a spotlight on the recruitment methods used by employers.

Recruitment Insights Report - June 2022_0.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report June 2022
430962 ↓ Download

The May 2022 report includes a spotlight on how recruitment experiences differ based on the length of time taken to fill vacancies.

Recruitment Insights Report - May 2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report May 2022
496634 ↓ Download

The April 2022 report includes a spotlight on recruitment difficulty for truck drivers.

recruitment-insights-report-april-2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report April 2022
453004 ↓ Download

The March 2022 report includes a spotlight on the job status of employers' recent hires.

Recruitment Insights Report - March 2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report March 2022
600448 ↓ Download

The February 2022 report includes a spotlight on measuring recruitment difficulty.

recruitment-insights-report-february-2022.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report February 2022
760258 ↓ Download

The January 2022 report includes a spotlight on the reasons for recruitment by industry and occupation.

Recruitment Insights Report - January 2022_0.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report January 2022
523980 ↓ Download

The December 2021 report includes a spotlight on retention difficulty.

recruitment-insights-report-december-2021_1.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report December 2021
650318 ↓ Download

The November 2021 report includes a spotlight on the impacts of recruitment difficulty.

recruitment-insights-report-november-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report November 2021
723201 ↓ Download

The October 2021 report includes a spotlight on recruitment difficulty for hospitality workers.

recruitment-insights-report-october-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report October 2021
696522 ↓ Download

The September 2021 report includes a spotlight on employers’ single greatest future concern.

recruitment-insights-report-september-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report September 2021
714177 ↓ Download

The August 2021 report includes a spotlight on employers with staff stood down, on reduced hours, or working from home.

recruitment-insights-report-august-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report August 2021
958582 ↓ Download

The July 2021 report includes a spotlight on employers with retention difficulty.

recruitment-insights-report-july-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report July 2021
529305 ↓ Download

The June 2021 report includes a spotlight on recruitment experiences and expectations within the Accommodation and Food Services industry.

recruitment-insights-report-june-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report June 2021
619684 ↓ Download

The May 2021 report includes a spotlight on recruitment experiences and expectations within the Health Care and Social Assistance industry.

recruitment-insights-report-may-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report May 2021
634527 ↓ Download

The April 2021 report includes a spotlight on recruitment methods used by employers.

recruitment-insights-report-april-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report April 2021
569053 ↓ Download

The March 2021 report includes a spotlight on risks to businesses staying open.

recruitment-insights-report-march-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report March 2021
574707 ↓ Download

The February 2021 report includes a spotlight on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and changes to staffing levels throughout 2020.

recruitment-insights-report-february-2021.pdf
Recruitment Insights Report February 2021
531321 ↓ Download

Annual overview

Information collected from employers throughout 2020 is presented in the report: Employers' Insights on the Australian Labour Market - 2020 Data Report.

As the year progressed and the number of lockdowns reduced, businesses were less impacted by COVID-19.

As businesses became more confident the recruitment rate began to pick up around Australia.

The use of internet and social media as recruitment methods has increased in recent times. This trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

employers-insights-on-the-australian-labour-market-2020-snapshot.pdf
Employers' Insights On The Australian Labour Market 2020 Snapshot (252 Kb)
258322 ↓ Download
employers-insights-on-the-australian-labour-market-2020-data-report.pdf
Employers' Insights On The Australian Labour Market 2020 Data Report
1258158 ↓ Download
employers-insights-on-the-australian-labour-market-2020-data-file_0.xlsx
Employers' Insights On The Australian Labour Market 2020 Data File
1156597 ↓ Download

Methodology

The National Skills Commission (NSC) conducts the Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey (REOS) to monitor recruitment activity and conditions across Australia.

The REOS surveys employers across Australia, and up to 14,000 businesses respond to the survey throughout the year.

The survey collects information on employer recruitment activity, recruitment difficulty and staffing outlook – all important indicators to help policy makers and analysts to monitor and understand current and emerging labour market conditions. Data are released as close to collection as possible, providing an almost real-time view of recruitment activity across Australia.

The REOS questionnaire continually evolves to stay current with changes in the Australian labour market that directly impact on businesses and their recruitment.

For more information on the survey methodology, key concepts used in the survey and to view the questionnaire, see the paper:

REOS concepts methods and questionnaire April 2022.pdf
REOS Concepts Methods And Questionnaire
341106 ↓ Download

Contact Details

For information on the REOS survey email RecruitmentSurveys@skillscommission.gov.au or telephone 1800 059 439.

For information on the Recruitment Insights Reports email RecruitmentAnalysis@skillscommission.gov.au

Information for participants

The National Skills Commission conducts an ongoing survey of employers to understand recruitment activity in the labour market and future concerns for Australian jobs and businesses. 

You may have been directed to this page by one of our interviewers. 

The quality of this research relies heavily on the participation of employers like you. We know that your time is valuable and completing this survey will take less than 5 minutes. 

What will you be asked?

We will ask you about your recruitment activity and if you are experiencing recruitment difficulty; how your staffing levels may have changed; and whether you have any future concerns regarding your business. 

We will also ask you whether you have recently tried to recruit staff and your experiences during this process. 

We understand that the last few years have been challenging for many people and businesses, and we value your direct input and appreciate your contribution.

How will the information be used?

With labour market conditions changing rapidly, accurate and timely data is essential. The information you provide will assist us to understand recruitment activity in the Australian economy and how recruitment difficulty can impact Australian businesses. The results from the survey are used in many ways, including in the development of effective, targeted, and well-designed policy responses.

Information from the survey is available on the National Skills Commission website: https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/topics/recruitment-experiences-and-outlook-survey

Our commitment to you

As part of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the information you provide is kept secure and confidential. See the Department’s privacy policy here: https://www.dewr.gov.au/using-site/privacy

Your information is combined with responses from other employers to produce aggregated statistics which means individual responses and businesses cannot be identified. You can view our privacy statement for more information.

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