The community services and development sector showed the highest growth (18.5%). followed by farming, animals and conservation (13.4%), education and training (7.8%) and healthcare and medical (7.4%). ICT jobs showed a fall of 6% year-on-year.

State-wise, growth was seen only in the ACT (9.5%), Western Australia (1.6%) and Tasmania (1.4%). The biggest fall was seen in NSW (13.1%), followed by the NT (12.1%), Queensland (6.4%), Victoria (5.5%), and South Australia (1.5%).

The company said the average advertised salary across the country was $88,652, a year-on-year increase of 2.5%. WA and NSW had the two higher salary figures, at $90,300 and $90,422 respectively.

In both these states, the mining, resources and energy sector contributed to the higher average, with engineering playing a role in WA and construction performing a similar function in NSW.

SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks said in a statement: "We are seeing a slight improvement in the market with the rate of job ad decline moderating, with September at -7.4% compared to August, which was -8.6%.

"Month to month, we continue to see growth come from the large employing sectors of community services and development which has seen a jump from 13% y/y in August to 18.5% in September. Over the same period healthcare and medical jumped from 4.6% to 7.4%.

"The employment demand across a wide range of roles within social services, particularly children and aged care support, is a common theme. Specific roles include aged and disability support, childcare and secondary teaching and aged care nurses.”