Work prospects improve
Uptick in jobs going in region
YET more evidence of a growing jobs market in the Far North has been revealed.
Data compiled by Mission Beach-based Conus Business Consultancy Services and Knight Frank showed 12,800 jobs had been created between January 2015 and August 2017.
Conus principal Pete Faulkner said more than 70 per cent of those positions were fulltime.
“Cairns has been recovering for the best part of two years now, we’ve gone past a point where the rate of growth of people employed has slowed down, but we’re seeing that transition from part-time to full-time as businesses became more confident they can employ people full-time,” he said.
Mr Faulkner said the number of people employed had not moved over the past two months but was still positive because the data could mean people were transitioning into full-time work.
His claims have also been backed up by a slight decrease in the number of jobseekers looking for work through Centrelink.
Recent jobactive data showed the number of Cairns cases on the books had dropped from 14,171 in September 2015 to 13,166 in September this year.
“I think you can safely say we’re seeing more people in work,” Mr Faulkner said.
“What we’re seeing is the trend in people receiving payment has been declining for a year and a half, at the same time the employment has been increasing.”
TAFE North portfolio finance officer Kim Nganga has been one of the growing number of full-time workers in the region. He started his new role in July, moving from the cleaning industry. Mr Nganga said it took eight months to secure the position.
“I did have employment but I was looking into a different role since mid-December last year,” he said. “I have been in finance for more than five years.”
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