The number of jobs advertised in the transport sector has declined for the third month in a row
Hiring in the transport and logistics sector fell away again in May, the monthly Labourforce Impex Transport Logistics and Supply Chain Index has revealed.
The 2.4 per cent drop-off in job advertising was the third consecutive decline, the index having now fallen by a total of 7.9 per cent since the end of February.
Labourforce spokesman Paul McLeay says things are still looking better than they were 12 months ago.
“The Index now sits at 108.36 and has still risen by 10.7% over the past twelve months,” he says.
“But the contrast between the strengthening market through much of 2014 and the softer jobs market now is starting to concern.”
The WA market – and its fast-falling mining sector in particular – has borne the brunt of the hiring downturn.
Advertisements for transport and logistics jobs there fell by 9.6 per cent in May, adding to a total drop of 26.6 per cent over the last three months.
Victoria advertised 20.2 per cent fewer jobs over the quarter to May 31 – though the state index there remains 16.9 per cent higher than it was 12 months ago.
Those losses were mitigated somewhat by gains in the Queensland and combined South Australia and Northern Territory markets.
These rose by 4.9 per cent and 7.9 per cent respectively during the May research period.
“While both are trending up, neither are at the record highs set in 2014 so they both have potential to go higher still,” McLeay says.
The federal government’s new depreciation arrangements for small business investments may provide the circuit breaker to bring an increase in transport jobs when the June advertisements are analysed next month.
The troubling outcome follows two weeks after a similar downbeat result from Seek.