News & Media

This resource for journalists and investors includes media releases, announcements and statements.

SEEK Employment Index

Media Contacts

Media representatives can contact Paul or Andrew Bassat (Joint CEO's) for information on topics such as:

• the origins and future of internet recruitment
• tips on how to conduct an effective online job search
• success stories and case studies of recruiters and job hunters who are using the Internet to fill — and find — jobs faster
• interviews with SEEK representatives

Contact SEEK by email, by phone on 03 9510 7200 (international 61 3 9510 7200 GMT +11 hours) or fax 03 9510 7244.

2009 Media Releases

• 05.06.09 INDEX SHOWS JOB MARKET SOFT, BUT STABILISING
• 01.06.09 SEEK APPOINTS NEW EMPLOYMENT PRODUCT DIRECTOR
• 11.05.09 SEEK only Australian employer named among best in Asia
• 11.05.09 SEEK unplugs volunteer stereotypes
• 08.05.09 Decline in Job Index slows for April
• 17.04.09 Jobseekers remain focussed despite downturn
• 13.03.09 SEEK Employment Index - Employees upskill in softening Job Market
• 18.02.09 Pay me more: public servants say money will make them stay
• 18.02.09 Teachers among Australia's happiest employees
• 18.02.09 Healthcare workers sick of stress
• 13.02.09 SEEK Employment Index - 2009 brings subdued Job Market, but confidence slowly returning
• 16.01.09 SEEK Employment Index - School leavers face subdued Job Market

INDEX SHOWS JOB MARKET SOFT, BUT STABILISING

The May SEEK Employment Index (SEI) indicates the rate of decline in the Australian labour market is slowing.

New job ads for the month were relatively stable, falling only ­1.9 per cent, the smallest decline in the past 12 months. The slower rate of decline was evident across most states, with Victoria and South Australia showing an increase in the number of new job ads.

SEEK Employment Managing Director Joe Powell said while the data was encouraging, it was still too early to say whether the trend was an indicator of an improving situation.

“However, these results do parallel some signs of growing consumer confidence, including better than expected employment figures in Australia and the nation’s recent avoidance of recession for the March quarter,” said Mr Powell.

“A SEEK online survey last month showed that 53 per cent of the 2078 respondents were considering changing occupation or company in the next 12 months. We believe this indicates growing confidence in the job market as people are more willing to risk a career move.”

The SEEK Employment Index

The SEI, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications on seek.com.au, fell by a seasonally adjusted 9.8 per cent in May, driven by an increase in the number of job applicants rather than a decline in the number of jobs advertised.

State­by­state, Victoria posted the best result with an EI of ­1.4 per cent. This was followed by Western Australia (­3.8 per cent) and Queensland (­5.5 per cent). New South Wales (­9.6 per cent); and South Australia. (­13 per cent) had the largest falls.

Job Advertisements

While job ads continued to fall in May, the rate of change has slowed significantly to 1.9 per cent, compared to an average of ­6.6 per cent between August 2008 and March 2009. New job ads rose in Victoria (6.1 per cent) and Western Australia (3.5 per cent). The decline in new job ads continued in New South Wales (­2.7 per cent), Queensland (­1.1 per cent) and South Australia (­5.3 per cent) but the rate of decline is slowing in New South Wales.

Job Applications

New job applications rose at a seasonally adjusted 7.8 per cent for May. This contrasts sharply with April’s fall by 6.1 per cent, which may be attributed to the Easter holiday period which traditionally sees a decline in job applicants.

SEEK’s data shows jobseekers continued to look at further training and education to improve their offering to employers.

“In a competitive job market, it’s important for people to keep adding to their skills and qualifications. Job seekers are recognising this, with 60 per cent of SEEK survey respondents currently considering formal training or development,” said Mr Powell.

SEEK Learning is still witnessing significant increases in enrolment, with the month­on­month growth in enquiries into business courses particularly worth noting.

Enquiries into a Master of Project Management experienced the most growth, up by 105 per cent month­by­month; while enquires into a Bachelor of Business (Logistics and Supply Chain Management) rose by 69 per cent. Year on year, the biggest interest has been in the Certificate III in Financial Services, which has grown by 142 per cent.

The value of having a qualification is perhaps nowhere better illustrated than in the list of May’s most sought after employees – and conversely in the list of most competitive occupations.

May’s top five most sought after employees:

1. Healthcase and medical – Nurses/midwives
2. Education and training – Primary teachers
3. Legal – Private practice solicitors
4. Information technology – Consultant
5. Real estate and property – Property management

May’s top five most competitive occupations:

1. Manufacturing – Process workers
2. Customer service – Call centre operators
3. Hospitality – Kitchen/sandwich hands
4. Accounting – Accounts payable
5. Hospitality – Housekeeping

A greater breakdown on all of these positions, including average salary, level of job satisfaction, pay parity and much more, can be found at paycheck.seek.com.au

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Joe Powell Jane Crowe Managing Director, SEEK Employment Haystac
(03) 8517 4240 (03) 8689 2237 / 0413 011 743

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au hosts approximately 60 per cent of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50 per cent of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 140,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and an estimated 3.1 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 15,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

About SEEK Intelligence
As Australia and New Zealand's leading employment website, SEEK has excellent insight into these labour markets. SEEK regularly researches employment trends and jobseeker sentiment and conducts quantitative and qualitative research of these audiences. SEEK Intelligence is the reporting of these results and includes such reports as:

• The SEEK Employment Index
• The SEEK Survey of Employee Satisfaction & Motivation

Details can be found online at http://www.seek.com.au/investor/research.ascx

About the SEEK Employment Index
Developed in consultation with Victoria University's Centre of Strategic Economic Studies, the SEEK Employment Index (SEEK EI)is the first Australian aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand. Specifically, the SEEK EI represents the relationship between demand for workers and jobseeker activity. When the Index increases, it demonstrates a 'tightening' employment market; where advertisers find it harder to fill roles (i.e.: demand outweighs supply). This is favourable for jobseekers, as job opportunities are greater and competition between applicants is reduced. Inversely, as the Index falls, it demonstrates a 'softening' employment market (i.e.: supply outweighs demand) and advertisers find it easier to fill roles. In this instance, jobseekers need to compete for the available jobs.

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SEEK APPOINTS NEW EMPLOYMENT PRODUCT DIRECTOR

SEEK Employment today announced the promotion of its Corporate Strategy Manager, Patrick Leahy, to Employment Product Director.

Leahy has been a part of the SEEK family for nearly four years, initially helping to establish SEEK Learning, and driving SEEK’s successful investment in 50 per cent of IDP.

As Corporate Strategy Manager for SEEK's Employment business, Leahy has had responsibility for evolving SEEK’s overall strategy and managing priority projects.  As such Leahy is well placed to lead the future direction and implementation of SEEK’s Product Strategy.

Prior to his time at SEEK Leahy worked at HBOS plc and at the Boston Consulting Group.

Leahy commences in the role on 1 July 2009.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Joe Powell
Managing Director, SEEK Employment
(03) 8517 4240

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au hosts approximately 60 per cent of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50 per cent of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 100,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 3.1 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 10,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

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SEEK only Australian employer named among best in Asia

SEEK is the only Australian company recognised in the Hewitt Asia Best Employer Awards.

SEEK Human Resources director Meahan Callaghan said the award was further recognition that SEEK is a great place to work.

“Everyone at SEEK is incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Ms Callaghan.

“It reflects the hard work and commitment of everyone at SEEK towards achieving our goal of being Australia and New Zealand’s best employer.”

“At SEEK, we’ve taken direct action to retain our talent through the current environment,” said Ms Callaghan.

“Since judged for the Hewitt Award, we’ve introduced a sabbatical program that offers extended leave to all employees on a percentage of their base salary,” said Ms Callaghan. “For most employees it is 20 per cent and for those who have been with SEEK for over 5 years it is 25 percent. We’re finding that many people taking up the leave to complete tertiary studies, to travel or spend time with their new families.”

Other initiatives at SEEK include unlimited sick and carers leave; volunteer leave; free breakfast; a mentoring program and career planning workshops.

The Hewitt Best Employers in Asia 2009 study was conducted by Hewitt in partnership with Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal Asia.

Smita Anand, regional director, Asia Pacific Consulting at Hewitt said the study revealed that those named as Best Employers had learned that creating and maintaining an environment that is focused on key human capital elements.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au hosts approximately 60 per cent of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50 per cent of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 100,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 3.1 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 10,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

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SEEK UNPLUGS VOLUNTEER STEREOTYPES

SEEK is out to change the stereotype that volunteering is just for nanas and wealthy housewives.

SEEK’s Volunteering Unplugged has tapped into Australia’s leading bloggers and not-for-profits to share inspiring volunteering stories from people of all ages.

SEEK Marketing Director Helen Souness says the Volunteering Unplugged site uses social networking tools to make it easier for those interested in volunteering to share their experiences.

“SEEK already brings together thousands of volunteers and non profits every month with SEEK Volunteer, but we hope this new tool will inspire many more young people to take up volunteering and share their stories.”

There is more than 11,000 volunteer opportunities on SEEK Volunteer at any one time.

“Volunteers are essential to society, and many worthy causes would struggle to survive without the support of their volunteers,” said Ms Souness.

“Volunteering is not just about giving, many volunteers we talked to say that get more than they give, finding the enjoyment and satisfaction makes it really worthwhile for them personally. Volunteering Unplugged provides a forum for those volunteers who donate their time and energy to hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

“In an employment environment where it pays to differentiate yourself, volunteering can be a great way for people to learn new skills and meet new people,” said Ms Souness.

“And it’s a great way to get inspired and work on those things you truly believe in.”

Volunteer Australia National Communications Manager Mr Peter Cocks says that sharing experiences is a great way to learn and be inspired first hand about volunteering.

“The launch of SEEK Volunteer’s Volunteering Unplugged will no doubt facilitate the sharing of ideas, thoughts and experiences that is an important aspect of driving the ongoing awareness and participation in volunteering.”

The launch of SEEK Volunteer’s Volunteering Unplugged coincides with National Volunteer Week – the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia. The week (11-17 May 2009) provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our communities and to say thank you to the more than 5 million Australians who volunteer.

Get inspired at: www.volunteeringunplugged.com.au

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

SEEK Volunteer is a non-commercial partnership between Volunteering Australia and SEEK, supporting not-for-profits in Australia by offering free of charge ads to attract new volunteers.

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DECLINE IN JOB INDEX SLOWS FOR APRIL

The SEEK indicators for April 2009 appear to provide signs the pace of decline in the Australian labour market is slowing.

The slower rate of decline in new job ads was evident across all states – led by New South Wales and Victoria.

SEEK Employment Managing Director Joe Powell said although encouraged by the data, it was still too early to say whether the trend was an indicator of an improving situation.

"However, these results do parallel some signs of better trends in the economy, including better than expected employment figures in Australia," said Mr Powell.

"The SEEK EI was also one of the first indicators in Australia of a slowing economy, so we'll certainly be paying close attention to the results over the next few months."

The SEEK Employment Index

The SEI, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications on seek.com.au, fell by a seasonally adjusted -4.4 per cent in April, suggesting greater competition for jobs.

Job Advertisements

The number of new job advertisements fell by a seasonally adjusted -5.5 per cent for April – compared to an average of -8.5 per cent over the past six months. The rate of decline in New South Wales and Victoria (-1.8 per cent and -3.6 per cent respectively) was the smallest seen since July 2008. In Western Australia and Queensland, who were last to feel the impact of the jobs downturn, the fall was more significant (-5.4 per cent and -8.1 per cent respectively), while South Australia actually witnessed an increase in job advertisements of 9.4 per cent.

Job Applications

New job applications rose at a seasonally adjusted 0.9 per cent for April, compared with March.

The latest data from SEEK also showed that jobseekers continued to look at further training and education to improve their offering to employers continued to strengthen.

"SEEK Learning is still witnessing significant increases in enrolment, with the month-on-month growth in enquiries into business courses in particularly worth noting."

Enquiries into a Bachelor of Education (Primary) were up month-by-month 50 per cent; while enquires into a Bachelor of Behavioural Science rose by 38 per cent. Year on year, the biggest interest has been in the Professional TESOL Certificate (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) which grew by an astonishing 146 per cent.

The value of having a qualification is perhaps nowhere better exemplified than in the list of March's most sought after employees – and conversely in the list of most competitive occupations.

March's top five most sought after employees:

If you are seeking a place in these categories and you have the relevant skills and experience, you are lucky and highly sought after. Be it due to increasing demand or a critical shortage of specialised skills, these positions are hardest to fill.

1. Legal – Senior associate solicitors
2. Insurance and Superannuation – Brokers
3. Construction – Architects
4. Real Estate – Valuers
5. Healthcare and medical – Nurses/midwives

March's top five most competitive occupations:

If you are looking for a place in one of these categories it is vital that you get a competitive edge and present yourself in the best light – the competition is fierce. Hundreds of applications are received for each position advertised, making these SEEK's top five most competitive occupations.

1. Manufacturing – Packers and fillers
2. Customer service – Call centre operators
3. Hospitality – Kitchen and sandwich hands
4. Retail – Sales assistants
5. Trades and services – Cleaners

A greater breakdown on all of these positions, including average salary, level of job satisfaction, pay parity and much more, can be found at paycheck.seek.com.au

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

About SEEK

In Australia, seek.com.au hosts approximately 60 per cent of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50 per cent of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 100,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 3.1 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 10,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

About SEEK Intelligence

As Australia and New Zealand's leading employment website, SEEK has excellent insight into these labour markets. SEEK regularly researches employment trends and jobseeker sentiment and conducts quantitative and qualitative research of these audiences. SEEK Intelligence is the reporting of these results and includes such reports as:

• The SEEK Employment Index
• The SEEK Survey of Employee Satisfaction & Motivation

Details can be found online at http://www.seek.com.au/investor/research.ascx

About the SEEK Employment Index

Developed in consultation with Victoria University's Centre of Strategic Economic Studies, the SEEK Employment Index (SEEK EI)is the first Australian aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand.

Specifically, the SEEK EI represents the relationship between demand for workers and jobseeker activity. When the Index increases, it demonstrates a 'tightening' employment market; where advertisers find it harder to fill roles (i.e.: demand outweighs supply). This is favourable for jobseekers, as job opportunities are greater and competition between applicants is reduced. Inversely, as the Index falls, it demonstrates a 'softening' employment market (i.e.: supply outweighs demand) and advertisers find it easier to fill roles. In this instance, jobseekers need to compete for the available jobs.

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Jobseekers remain focussed despite downturn

DESPITE greater competition, jobseekers appear to be resisting the temptation to go for a ‘scattergun approach’ while looking for jobs.

The SEEK Employment Index
The SEEK Employment Index for March showed the job market was continuing to tighten.

The SEI, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications on seek.com.au, fell by a seasonally adjusted ­9.7 per cent in March, suggesting greater competition for jobs.

Job Advertisements
The number of new job advertisements fell by a seasonally adjusted ­9.4 per cent for February. The fall in March’s job ad figures demonstrated that labour demand remains relatively weak on the east coast – New South Wales (­11 per cent) and Victoria (­11.6 per cent) and Queensland (­ 7.5 per cent). However, the story is now well and truly one Australia­wide, with Western Australia and South Australia recording ­15.5 per cent and ­11.5 per cent respectively.

Job Applications
New job applications rose at a seasonally adjusted 0.4 per cent for March, compared with February.

The latest data from SEEK showed that jobseekers did not appear to be applying for more jobs, with the number of job applications per jobseeker remaining relatively stable over the past year – jobseeker visits to SEEK are up 35 per cent during this period compared to a 36 per cent increase in applications.

SEEK Employment Managing Director Joe Powell said this would suggest jobseekers are remaining focussed, which was the recommended approach.

“It is very easy for jobseekers to loose their nerve when competition gets tight,” said Mr Powell. “But when competition is tight, it is important for jobseekers to be even more focussed and look for specific roles that make the most of their skill set to give them that competitive edge.”

Far from being ‘choosey’, Mr Powell suggested that jobseekers efforts are best focussed on a limited number of applications, rather than diluting their appeal through a scattergun approach and reducing their chances for a shot at an interview.

“You’re more likely to hit your target if you focus on it, rather than shooting indiscriminately,” suggested Mr Powell.

Mr Powell also said while the Australian job market continued to soften, recent evidence that jobseekers were looking at further training and education to improve their offering to employers continued to strengthen.

“SEEK Learning is still witnessing significant increases in enrolment, with the month­on­month growth in enquiries into business courses in particularly worth noting.”

Enquiries into Certificate IV in Business Management were up 38 per cent; Certificate IV in Financial Services up 36 per cent and Executive MBAs 32 per cent.

March’s top five most sought after employees:
If you are seeking a place in these categories and you have the relevant skills and experience, you are lucky and highly sought after. Be it due to increasing demand or a critical shortage of specialised skills, these positions are hardest to fill.

1. Education – University lecturers
2. Consulting and corporate strategy – Policy and planning consultants
3. Healthcare – Nurses and midwives
4. Legal – Private practice solicitors
5. Government – Public servants (Local Government)

March’s top five most competitive occupations:
If you are looking for a place in one of these categories it is vital that you get a competitive edge and present yourself in the best light – the competition is fierce. Hundreds of applications are received for each position advertised, making these SEEK’s Top 5 most competitive occupations.

1. Manufacturing – Packers and fillers
2. Customer service – Call centre operators
3. Hospitality – kitchen and sandwich hands
4. Administration– Office assistants
5. Retail – Sales assistants

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au hosts approximately 60 per cent of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50 per cent of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 140,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 3.1 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 15,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

About SEEK Intelligence
As Australia and New Zealand's leading employment website, SEEK has excellent insight into these labour markets. SEEK regularly researches employment trends and jobseeker sentiment and conducts quantitative and qualitative research of these audiences. SEEK Intelligence is the reporting of these results and includes such reports as:
• The SEEK Employment Index
• The SEEK Survey of Employee Satisfaction & Motivation

Details can be found online at http://www.seek.com.au/investor/research.ascx

About the SEEK Employment Index
Developed in consultation with Victoria University's Centre of Strategic Economic Studies, the SEEK Employment Index (SEEK EI)is the first Australian aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand.

Specifically, the SEEK EI represents the relationship between demand for workers and jobseeker activity. When the Index increases, it demonstrates a 'tightening' employment market; where advertisers find it harder to fill roles (i.e.: demand outweighs supply). This is favourable for jobseekers, as job opportunities are greater and competition between applicants is reduced. Inversely, as the Index falls, it demonstrates a 'softening' employment market (i.e.: supply outweighs demand) and advertisers find it easier to fill roles. In this instance, jobseekers need to compete for the available jobs.

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Employees upskill in softening Job Market

Australian employees are increasingly looking to further training to improve their value in a softening job market according to the latest SEEK Employment Index.

The SEEK Employment Index

The SEI, which measures the ratio of new job ads to job applications on seek.com.au, fell by a seasonally adjusted -8.5 per cent in February, suggesting greater competition for jobs.

Job Applications

New job applications rose at a seasonally adjusted 2.5 per cent for February, compared with January.

Job Advertisements

The number of new job advertisements fell by a seasonally adjusted -6.0 per cent for February. The fall in February's job ad figures demonstrated that labour demand remains relatively weak on the east coast – New South Wales (-9.4 per cent) and Victoria (-6.1 per cent) and Queensland (- 4.2 per cent). Western Australia and South Australia (-2.6 per cent and 2.0 per cent respectively) fared slightly better.

SEEK Employment Managing Director Joe Powell said while the Australian job market continued to soften there was evidence that jobseekers were looking at further training and education to improve their offering to employers.

"SEEK Learning is currently seeing significant enrolment growth," said Mr Powell.

Mr Powell noted that TAFE enrolments had showed the biggest jump and has more than doubled year-on-year. He suspected this is driven by a combination of the broad appeal of TAFE courses to all sectors of the workforce and the nature of the courses (TAFE Certificates and Diplomas can gain students an accreditation in less than a year).

"We are seeing big jumps in interest in areas such as HR, Marketing and Business," said Mr Powell. "Enquiries for some courses have doubled over the course of the year."

Powell also suggested the fact that enrolments in SEEK's TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) business are up 30% for the year, may mean many are looking for work in an entirely different market.

February's top five jobs in most demand were:
If you are seeking a place in these categories and you have the relevant skills and experience, you are lucky and highly sought after. Be it due to increasing demand or a critical shortage of specialised skills, these positions are hardest to fill.

1. Healthcare and medical – Radiographers and sonographers
2. Legal – Public practice solicitors
3. Insurance and superannuation – Risk consultants
4. Consulting and corporate strategy – Policy and planning consultants
5. Banking and financial services – Actuaries

February's top five most competitive occupations:
If you are looking for a place in one of these categories it is vital that you get a competitive edge and present yourself in the best light – the competition is fierce. Hundreds of applications are received for each position advertised, making these SEEK's Top 5 most competitive occupations.

1. Manufacturing – Packers and fillers
2. Administration – Data entry personnel
3. Hospitality and tourism – Kitchen and sandwich hands
4. Retail – Sales assistants
5. Accounting – Accounts payable Clerks

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au now hosts approximately 60% of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50% of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 200,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 2.89 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 20,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

About SEEK Intelligence
As Australia and New Zealand's leading employment website, SEEK has excellent insight into these labour markets. SEEK regularly researches employment trends and jobseeker sentiment and conducts quantitative and qualitative research of these audiences. SEEK Intelligence is the reporting of these results and includes such reports as:

• The SEEK Employment Index
• The SEEK Survey of Employee Satisfaction & Motivation

About the SEEK Employment Index
Developed in consultation with Victoria University's Centre of Strategic Economic Studies, the SEEK Employment Index is the first Australian aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand.

Specifically, the SEEK Employment Index (SEEK EI) represents the relationship between demand for workers and jobseeker activity. When the Index increases, it demonstrates a 'tightening' employment market; where advertisers find it harder to fill roles ie: demand outweighs supply. This is favourable for jobseekers, as job opportunities are greater and competition between applicants is reduced. Inversely, as the Index falls, it demonstrates a 'softening' employment market ie: supply outweighs demand and advertisers find it easier to fill roles. In this instance, jobseekers need to compete for the available jobs.

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PAY ME MORE: PUBLIC SERVANTS SAY MONEY WILL MAKE THEM STAY

Nearly two-thirds of public servants say more money would increase their chances of staying in their current job.

The SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey revealed that 65 per cent of public servants said more money would increase the likelihood of staying in their current job. In 2007, this figure was only 40 per cent.

SEEK spokesperson David Waite said the public service sector was reflective of the national trend. In 2007, 42 per cent of Australian employees cited ‘pay me more' as what would increase the likelihood of staying in their current job – last year, this had jumped to 75 per cent.

"While the jump in number of public servants who cite pay as the main factor in staying in their current role has been significant, it still falls below the national average," said Mr Waite.

Topping the list of reasons why public servants left their last position was "new challenges" (53 per cent) well above the national average of 37 per cent.

More public servants cite "quality of management" as what they hate about their job – 30 per cent, compared to a national average of 23 per cent.

"While Australia's public servants are looking for a bigger pay packet, the need for Governments to show some restraint could prove to be a barrier," said Mr Waite.

"It would be interesting to see what the fallout would be should Rudd follow President Obama who froze the salaries of White House employees."

Taking office, one of Obama's first acts as President was to hold salaries at their current levels for the roughly 100 White House employees who make over $100,000 a year, saying "families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington."

Should Canberra not tighten its belt, it may need to focus its attention on those factors that contribute to public servants leaving their job.

And they may have a task on their hand, according to Mr Waite.

"According to the SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey, the number of public servants who browse job ads once a week remains high at 42 per cent, above the national average of 39 per cent."

Other interesting findings for the government sector include:

• 'Pay me more' (65 per cent), 'Reward Performance' (62 per cent) and 'Challenge me at work' (62 per cent) are the top three reasons to stay in their current position
• Public servants on average are slightly happier in their job than the average Australian worker (23 per cent compared to 22 per cent)
• On average, those working in Government are longer serving, with 17 per cent of people having a tenure of 11 years or more, compared with a national average of only five per cent
• In addition 15 per cent of public servants intend on staying for four years or more, compared with a national average of 10 per cent

For further information or to arrange an interview with David Waite please contact:
Craig Little Haystac
P: 03 8689 2258
M: 0450 696 503
E: c.little@haystac.com.au

About SEEK
seek.com.au currently hosts about two thirds of all online ads, equating to approximately half of all Internet and newspaper job ads in Australia. In any given month, over 200,000 job advertisements are posted on the SEEK website and over two million jobseekers lodge over 1.5 million job applications

About the SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey
The findings from the 2008 SEEK Intelligence Survey of Employee Satisfaction and Motivation in Australia are based on a sample of 10,455 completed responses, collected by online survey.

The survey represents an online Australian audience. Invitations to participate in the survey were published online on seek.com.au. Invitations to participate in the survey were also sent in an email newsletter to over one million employees registered for Job Mail with SEEK and partner sites. It is interesting to note year on year changes given that the sample is largely made up of SEEK jobseekers.

The sample represents both ‘active’ jobseekers that are actively looking for new employment, as well as ‘passive’ jobseekers, who are fully employed and may be browsing for new opportunities.

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TEACHERS AMONG AUSTRALIA'S HAPPIEST EMPLOYEES

With a new school year having just commenced, the number of teachers who say they are happy in their job continues to outstrip the national average.

The SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey revealed that 35 per cent of teachers are happy in their current role, well above the national average of 22 per cent.

While 39 per cent claim to be unhappy, it is well below the national average of 48 per cent.

SEEK spokesperson David Waite said the education sector has long proved among the nation’s happiness.

The gap between those who say they are happy, compared to unhappy is only four percent,” said Mr Waite. “In comparison, the disparity nationally is 26 per cent.”

Also notable within the education sector was the disparity in salary as a motivator.

“Only 46 per cent of teachers cited ‘pay me more’ as a reason to encourage them to stay in their current job, well below the national average of 75 per cent” said Mr Waite.

One result of teachers being among the nation’s happiest employees is that they intend to stay longer with their current employer. Those who intend to stay more than two years is 28 per cent, compared to 18 per cent nationally.

However, there is a wide range of factors that teachers note important in encouraging them to stay in their current role. Among the top five reasons nominated were flexible work conditions and good company ethics (both 30 per cent). Neither of these factors appeared in the top five list of factors nationally.

“These findings show that the motivating factors for those in the teaching profession are vastly different to most other profession, where salary is thedominating factor,” said Mr Waite.

Other interesting findings for the education sector include:
• More teachers left their last role as a result of seeking a new challenge (42 per cent in 2008 compared to 23 per cent in 2007)
• Teachers now enjoy those who they work with more than the national average (23 per cent compared to 20 per cent – in 2007 the figure was 17 per cent compared to 21 per cent)
• Hours of work remains more important for teachers, with 43 per cent citing it as what is important to them in a new job, as opposed to a national average of 37 per cent

For further information or to arrange an interview with David Waite please contact:
Craig Little Haystac
P: 03 8689 2258
M: 0450 696 503
E: c.little@haystac.com.au

About SEEK
seek.com.au currently hosts about two thirds of all online ads, equating to approximately half of all Internet and newspaper job ads in Australia. In any given month, over 200,000 job advertisements are posted on the SEEK website and over two million jobseekers lodge over 1.5 million job applications

About the SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey
The findings from the 2008 SEEK Intelligence Survey of Employee Satisfaction and Motivation in Australia are based on a sample of 10,455 completed responses, collected by online survey.

The survey represents an online Australian audience. Invitations to participate in the survey were published online on seek.com.au. Invitations to participate in the survey were also sent in an email newsletter to over one million employees registered for Job Mail with SEEK and partner sites. It is interesting to note year on year changes given that the sample is largely made up of SEEK jobseekers.

The sample represents both ‘active’ jobseekers that are actively looking for new employment, as well as ‘passive’ jobseekers, who are fully employed and may be browsing for new opportunities.

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HEALTHCARE WORKERS SICK OF STRESS

More healthcare workers cite ‘stress levels’ as what they hate about their job than other Australian professions.

The SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey revealed that the number of healthcare workers who nominated stress as what they hate about their job, rose from 25 per cent to 31 per cent – well above the national average of 25 per cent.

SEEK spokesperson David Waite said that while those who nominated stress as what they hate about their job rose across the board, the increase was more significant among health care workers.

“Healthcare workers have historically cited ‘stress levels’ more than other professions, and in 2008 it increased at a faster rate than other professions,” said Mr Waite.

Perhaps not unrelated, more people in healthcare valued ‘quality of management’ (56 per cent), ‘workplace environment’ (46 per cent) and ‘hours of work’ (46 per cent) as important to them in a new job than the national average.

“The importance of these factors is perhaps also demonstrated by the fact that salary isn’t the over­riding factor it is in other professions,” said Mr Waite.

Those who said ‘pay me more’ was what would encourage them to stay in their current job was 49 per cent among healthcare workers – well down on the 75 per cent national average.

Other interesting findings for the healthcare sector include:
• Healthcare workers are more inclined to stay with their current employer – 44 per cent intend to stay more than a year, compared to a national average of 33 per cent
• Good company ethics featured high (31 per cent) on the factors that would encourage them to stay in their current job
• A greater number of healthcare workers left their last job for a ‘new challenge’ (44 per cent) than the national average (37 per cent)
• Job security has remained relatively stable despite the economic downturn – only two per cent more feel less secure now than they did in 2007 (29 per cent compared to 27 per cent)

For further information or to arrange an interview with David Waite please contact:
Craig Little Haystac
P: 03 8689 2258
M: 0450 696 503
E: c.little@haystac.com.au

About SEEK
seek.com.au currently hosts about two thirds of all online ads, equating to approximately half of all Internet and newspaper job ads in Australia. In any given month, over 200,000 job advertisements are posted on the SEEK website and over two million jobseekers lodge over 1.5 million job applications

About the SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation Survey
The findings from the 2008 SEEK Intelligence Survey of Employee Satisfaction and Motivation in Australia are based on a sample of 10,455 completed responses, collected by online survey.

The survey represents an online Australian audience. Invitations to participate in the survey were published online on seek.com.au. Invitations to participate in the survey were also sent in an email newsletter to over one million employees registered for Job Mail with SEEK and partner sites. It is interesting to note year on year changes given that the sample is largely made up of SEEK jobseekers.

The sample represents both ‘active’ jobseekers that are actively looking for new employment, as well as ‘passive’ jobseekers, who are fully employed and may be browsing for new opportunities.

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2009 brings subdued Job Market, but confidence slowly returning

Australia's job market continued to soften in January according to the latest SEEK Employment Index.

The SEEK Employment Index

The SEI, which measures the ratio of new job ads on seek.com.au to job applications via the site, fell by a seasonally adjusted 7.4 per cent, suggesting greater competition for jobs in January.

Job Applications

New job applications rose at a seasonally adjusted 1.6 per cent for January, compared with December.

Job Advertisements

The number of new job advertisements fell a seasonally adjusted 5.9 per cent for January. The fall in January's job ad figures demonstrated that labour demand remains relatively weak in New South Wales (-8.3 per cent) and Victoria (-7.0 per cent). South Australia (-6.3 per cent), Queensland and Western Australia (both -6.2 per cent) fared only slightly better.

SEEK Employment Managing Director Joe Powell said while Australia enters a very different job climate to that at the beginning of 2008, there remains a significant level of unmet demand across (mostly skilled) professions.

"For a number of months now, we've seen continued high demand for skilled roles in healthcare, law, and primary industries," said Mr Powell.

"Management roles within the engineering sector are also proving difficult to fill – and with infrastructure being a focus of the Federal Government's proposed stimulus package, we would expect this demand to be maintained for some time.

Mr Powell also suggested that confidence may slowly be returning to the job market following the results from a recent SEEK jobseeker survey.

"Job security among employees, while expectedly down on this time last year, appear to be recovering," said Mr Powell.

In October, 59 per cent of people felt less secure about their jobs compared to 12 months ago. In January, this had improved to 42 per cent. In contrast, 13 per cent of people actually felt more secure about their job, an increase of 5 per cent on the October figures.

SEEK TOP & BOTTOM 5

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au now hosts approximately 60% of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50% of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 200,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 2.89 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 20,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

About SEEK Intelligence
As Australia and New Zealand's leading employment website, SEEK has excellent insight into these labour markets. SEEK regularly researches employment trends and jobseeker sentiment and conducts quantitative and qualitative research of these audiences. SEEK Intelligence is the reporting of these results and includes such reports as:

• The SEEK Employment Index
• The SEEK Survey of Employee Satisfaction & Motivation

About the SEEK Employment Index
Developed in consultation with Victoria University's Centre of Strategic Economic Studies, the SEEK Employment Index is the first Australian aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand.

Specifically, the SEEK Employment Index (SEEK EI) represents the relationship between demand for workers and jobseeker activity. When the Index increases, it demonstrates a 'tightening' employment market; where advertisers find it harder to fill roles ie: demand outweighs supply. This is favourable for jobseekers, as job opportunities are greater and competition between applicants is reduced. Inversely, as the Index falls, it demonstrates a 'softening' employment market ie: supply outweighs demand and advertisers find it easier to fill roles. In this instance, jobseekers need to compete for the available jobs.

School Leavers Face Subdued Job Market... with a few expectations

School leavers will need to cope with a softening job market according to the latest data from SEEK intelligence.

The SEEK Employment Index

The SEI, which measures the ratio of new job ads on seek.com.au to job applications via the site, fell by a seasonally adjusted 4.1 per cent, suggesting increased competition for jobseekers in December 2008.

Job Applications

New job applications fell at a seasonally adjusted 3.3 per cent for December, compared with November. The ACT and NSW experienced the greatest decrease in jobseeker activity with - 5.6 per cent and -5.1 per cent respectively. Victoria and Queensland had smaller decreases in new job applications of -3 per cent and -2.3 per cent respectively.

Job Advertisements

The number of new job advertisements fell a seasonally adjusted 7.4 per cent for December. The fall in December's job ad figures demonstrated that labour demand remains relatively weak in New South Wales (-8.7 per cent),Victoria (-7.3 per cent) and Queensland (-5.4 per cent).

Western Australia and South Australia fared a little better with new job advertisements falling by 3.6 and 3.1 per cent respectively. SEEK Employment Managing Director Joe Powell said while a very different job climate faced 2009 school leavers, there is some good news, with variations in the level of unmet demand across professions.

"Healthcare roles continue to be in high demand, with radiographers and sonographers again topping the list of those professions most difficult to fill," said Mr Powell. "Roles within industries such as insurance and superannuation are also proving difficult to fill," said Mr Powell.

Mr Powell suggested this once again demonstrated that despite a generally softening job market, there remained many areas where skills were in high demand, and lend some wait to those who continue to ascertain that Australia has a skills shortage.

"The December results once again suggest that to remain competitive in today's job market, you really need to look at up-skilling. Those school-leavers who have ‘the tools' and the flexibility to move around, should look to those areas where their skills are in most demand."

SEEK TOP & BOTTOM 5

About SEEK
In Australia, seek.com.au now hosts approximately 60% of all jobs on Australia's major job sites, equating to approximately 50% of all Internet and newspaper job ads in the country. In a given month, approximately 200,000 job advertisements are posted on seek.com.au and approximately 2.89 million jobseekers visit the site. In New Zealand, approximately 20,000 job ads are now posted on seek.co.nz, nearly twice that of its nearest competitors.

About SEEK Intelligence
As Australia and New Zealand's leading employment website, SEEK has excellent insight into these labour markets. SEEK regularly researches employment trends and jobseeker sentiment and conducts quantitative and qualitative research of these audiences. SEEK Intelligence is the reporting of these results and includes such reports as:

• The SEEK Employment Index
• The SEEK Survey of Employee Satisfaction & Motivation

About the SEEK Employment Index
Developed in consultation with Victoria University's Centre of Strategic Economic Studies, the SEEK Employment Index is the first Australian aggregate indicator to measure the interaction between labour market supply and labour market demand.

Specifically, the SEEK Employment Index (SEEK EI) represents the relationship between demand for workers and jobseeker activity. When the Index increases, it demonstrates a 'tightening' employment market; where advertisers find it harder to fill roles ie: demand outweighs supply. This is favourable for jobseekers, as job opportunities are greater and competition between applicants is reduced. Inversely, as the Index falls, it demonstrates a 'softening' employment market ie: supply outweighs demand and advertisers find it easier to fill roles. In this instance, jobseekers need to compete for the available jobs.

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:

back to index