The job market in Australia has experienced and continues to experience a number of changes. With the country’s growing population, technology and economy, there are always new positions that are waiting to be filled. Most of these jobs may fall under the growing industries of the Land Down Under, such as these:
Healthcare and social assistance
More than a decade ago, the retail industry was the largest employer in Australia. However, the healthcare and social assistance industry has overtaken retail in this aspect and it shows no signs of stopping in growth. It is projected that by 2022, the healthcare sector will add another quarter million jobs to the employment landscape.
This growth can be attributed to the increasing retirement population. The data from the 2018 census shows that the number of people aged over 60 has increased by more than 3%. By 2040, experts estimate that one in every five Australians will be over 65 years old and there will be approximately 1.2 million people aged over 85. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) also suggests a significant decline in the country’s fertility rates. Combined with longer life expectancies, the pressure for the Australian healthcare and social assistance industries may also add to these industry’s growth.
Technology
The expanding technology sector in Australia introduces a lot of new positions to the job market, and the rapidly-increasing jobs under the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services category so not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, employment in this industry is expected to grow by 12.5% (that means adding 126,400 jobs) in the next five years. The jobs in this industry are not necessarily technology-based as well. Jobs in the technology sector can be IT roles like web design and programming, and professional services roles like accounting and business consultancy.
Australia’s drive to transition into an ‘Innovation Nation’ is having an impact on the increasing recruitment in the technology industry. The government has also invested a lot in research and development, which leads to a greater need for scientific and technical professionals. The growth of this industry is most apparent in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, but IT companies are popping up in other areas as well. If, for example, someone is looking for an SEO company, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart may still have such businesses.
Education and Training
For the next five years, the employment in this sector is predicted to increase by 12% or 116,200 jobs. Private schools, in particular, are likely to be the main employers of the education and training industry. The top three positions here are primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, and education aides. However, education and training can also be geared towards adults.
The rise of the education and training industry may be driven by the increasing population of school-aged children in Australia and a growing demand for adult and community education. Also, the main service export of the country is education, so their strength in international education may also influence the growth of the country’s education and training industry.
Employment in the established industries of Australia, such as mining and tourism, is consistently growing as well. The Land Down Under has a stable economy anyway, so jobseekers will likely find career security in this country.
