About 1.1 million Australians opted to change their jobs in the 12 months leading up to February, while 1.9 million individuals were eager to work but were unemployed.
The most recent job mobility report from the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) disclosed that the job mobility rate dropped to 8 percent in February 2024, compared to 9.6 percent in the same period.
This indicates that 1.1 million Australians made the decision to switch jobs within the 12-month timeframe concluding in February.
“In the 12 months up to February 2024, approximately 8 percent of employed individuals, or 1.1 million people, changed their employer or business,” stated Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of statistics.
“This represented a 1.5 percentage point decline from 9.6 percent in February 2023, returning to levels typically observed in the five years before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The ABS also highlighted that there were 1.9 million potential workers—individuals who were not employed but desired to work—up from 1.8 million the previous year.
“Out of those individuals who desired to work, slightly over 1 million were ready to commence work immediately, with an additional 483,000 prepared to start within four weeks but not right away. The remaining 330,000 individuals indicated they would not be available for more than a month,” Mr. Jarvis explained.
The report indicated that younger Australians aged 15 to 24 exhibited a higher propensity to change careers compared to older cohorts. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) recorded the highest job mobility rate at 10.6 percent, a decrease of 1.8 percent from the previous year.
In addition, 2.1 million Australians departed from or lost their jobs, a decrease from 2.3 million in the corresponding period the previous year.
Around 27 percent of those who left or lost their jobs were individuals seeking better career prospects or simply desiring change.
Other reasons cited included unsatisfactory work conditions, hours, or compensation, family commitments, and retirement.
Meanwhile, the national employer association Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) expressed concerns that the federal government’s recent industrial relations reforms could heighten job insecurity among Australians.
Ai Group CEO Innes Willox remarked that while some proposed changes have been rolled back, such as restrictions on casual employment and increased union powers, employers remain cautious about potential impacts on their operations.
Mr. Willox highlighted the “right to disconnect” proposal as particularly contentious, as existing regulations already govern employees’ after-hours work obligations.
In contrast, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor MP criticized the government’s policies for exacerbating the cost of living for Australians.
“The Albanese Labor Government has failed to address the root cause of Australia’s cost of living crisis—inflation,” Mr. Taylor asserted.
On the other hand, Treasurer Jim Chalmers emphasized the government’s focus on implementing tax cuts to alleviate cost of living pressures.
“The Tax Office has reported that approximately 8.8 million Australians have already received a tax cut this year,” Chalmers stated in a Sky News interview on July 14.
“We anticipate that around two million more Australians will receive their tax cut in the coming weeks, along with approximately 2.5 million award-dependent Australians who will see a pay increase this month.”
“Our objective is to ensure that individuals can earn more and retain a greater portion of their earnings.”
