Scientific approach works well for jobs

One sector is quietly creating new opportunities

SCIENCE and technology is one of four industries spearheading jobs growth so far this financial year, with an average 28 per cent increase in the number of advertisements placed on SEEK each month compared to last year.

Since June, SEEK’s monthly Employment Report has been finding mining, resources and energy has the greatest year-on-year job ad growth, but managing director Michael Ilczynski says it is growing from a low base.

Trades and services, along with engineering, also have reported strong jobs growth of at least 22 per cent each month, compared to the same month last year.

At 27 per cent last month, 27 per cent in September, 36 per cent in August, and 23 per cent in July, the science and technology sector has offered jobseekers significant opportunities so far in 2017-18.

The sector also has recorded the equal-second highest growth in salaries by industry in the past year.

The SEEK Salary Report reveals a 3 per cent increase in average advertised salary

❝ This October we saw the largest rate of annual job ad growth this year.

— Michael Ilczynski

— to $86,740 – just shy of the 4 per cent reported in the education and training sector, and on par with growth in the engineering sector.

Mathematics, statistics and information sciences ($112,059), modelling and simulation ($103,826) and environmental, earth and geosciences ($92,130) are offering the sector’s highest average advertised salaries.

Mr Ilczynski says its October employment data reveals hirers are keen to secure new employees ahead of the busy festive season.

New jobs ads listed on SEEK were up by 16.1 per cent this October, when compared to the same period last year.

“Advertising on SEEK is booming; this October we saw the largest rate of annual job ad growth this year,” Mr Ilczynski says.

“Fuelling this advertising uplift was positive growth across 28 of the 29 industries on SEEK this October.”

Overall, South Australia recorded the largest annual growth of all states and territories, with the number of job advertisements listed up 24.5 per cent year-on-year.

It compares with 18.9 per cent year-on-year in Queensland, 18 per cent in Victoria, and 12.4 per cent in New South Wales.

Hannah Custance, 27,

studied a science degree at university because she was interested in environmental issues and now works as an environmental consultant.

“I just wanted to help the environment,” she says.