DFP’s latest Mining and Resources Job Index shows the industry experienced a 1.3 per cent decrease in job vacancies across the mining and resources sector overall in September.
The fall for permanent roles was 2.2 per cent in September, though temporary and contract roles rose by 0.3 per cent.
This was the opposite of August figures, where permanent roles rose by 2.4 per cent and temporary and contract roles fell by 1.7 per cent.
According to DFP, the latest figures are reflective of a “broader softening in job advertisements nationally” with some “industry specific headwinds”.
Year-on-year (YoY) job growth in the mining and resources sector stands at 18.1 per cent, but the six-month figures show that growth slowed to 6 per cent and then just 0.4 per cent over the last three months, suggesting the industry’s recent surge in job opportunities is starting to level out.
In terms of states and territories, jobs in Western Australia and Queensland fell by 1.8 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.
Western Australia’s job index score of 94.89 was down from a high of 96.64 posted in August. However, Western Australia’s share of the job market has seen the biggest 12-month rise at 2.4 per cent.
DFP suggests Queensland is a stabilising market, particularly for thermal coal, which peaked in February and is now “near record levels”.
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said there was a “strong demand across central and north Queensland for skilled workers in the resource sector” despite Glencore’s recent announcement it would cut 430 jobs at Hail Creek next year.
Interestingly, among engineering job categories, trades and technicians are at the highest level since DFP started recording in late 2013.
Engineering trades and technician vacancies were up 1.2 percent in September for its fifth consecutive month of growth.
Drillers, miner and moving plant operator vacancies also rose, while vacancies for riggers and labourers fell by 3.7 per cent, ending what DFP refers to as a recent “bull run”.