Of the 1,020 Australian employers surveyed, 46% reported intentions to increase their headcount during the coming quarter, 12% anticipated a decrease while 38% expect no changes to their numbers. The resulting Net Employment Outlook is +37% after seasonal adjustments. This represents a seven percentage points increase from the last quarter and a one percentage point decrease since the same quarter last year.

ManpowerGroup Australia Managing Director, Penny O’Reilly says, the latest figures are a clear indication that Australian business leaders are remaining positive and have the desire to grow their business despite ongoing challenges.

"There is no doubt, over recent years business leaders have become more confident operating in environments that are less than perfect. The fact that almost one in two businesses intend to increase their headcount during the coming quarter is a testament to that,” Ms O’Reilly said

“Businesses continue to face daily challenges around supply chains, demand levels, inflation and talent availability, however, we are still seeing Australian leaders adopt a growth mindset and focus on long-term success."

KEY FINDINGS SUMMARY

• Positivity continues across all sectors: Hiring intentions remain positive in all nine sectors across Australia across Q3. The strongest hiring outlooks were reported in the Information Technology (+61%), Communication Services (+38%), and Industrials & Materials (+38%) sectors.
  
  
• Australia’s Information Technology sector recorded the strongest hiring intention in the world: Australian Information Technology sector recorded a Net Employment Outlook of +61%, increasing by 5 percentage points since last quarter and 9 percentage points since a year ago.
  
  
• Micro organisations record the largest increase in hiring intention: Micro organisations (less than 10 employers) recorded a Net Employment Outlook of +38%, an increase of 14 percentage points since last quarter and 12 percentage points since a year ago. This represents the highest Net Employment Outlook recorded for Micro organisations since the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey started tracking in Q2 2008.

“The Australian Information Technology sector continues to go from strength to strength. Demand for software developers, data analysts and cyber security professionals continues to boom, especially in the banking, finance and retail space."

“Australia’s pool of IT talent is world-class. That is why we are seeing both domestic and international businesses competing hard to recruit these in-demand skills locally. As we continue to shift towards a digital society, it is reasonable to expect this demand will continue to grow over time,” Ms O’Reilly said.

HIRING OUTLOOK IN ASIA PACIFIC

Hiring managers across APAC recorded steady growth in hiring intentions (+31%), improving by 4 percentage points when compared to the previous quarter.

Australia (+37%) recorded the highest hiring intention in the region followed by India (+36%), and China (+35%), while the weakest outlooks are forecast to be Taiwan (+15%) and Japan (+14%).

To view complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, visit www.manpowergroup.com.au/meos The next survey will be released on 12 September 2023 and will report hiring expectations for the fourth quarter of the year.