Online jobs advertisements in Western Australia grew the most in the nation in January, recording a 5.81 per cent increase driven by increased demand for skilled labour in the healthcare and engineering sectors.
Advantage Professional's January Job Index showed WA was also the only state to record double digit growth in the retail sector in January at 12.14 per cent, while the legal sector was the only industry in the state to record a decline with a 4.65 per cent fall.
Nationally, on line job advertisements fell 0.36 per cent in January, led by the transport, legal and tourism sectors, down 8.75 per cent, 8.06 per cent and 2.69 per cent, respectively.
Overall, the worst performing states were Queensland, which suffered its worst online job ads decline in almost two years with a 5.78 per cent dip, and the ACT, which dropped 9.54 per cent.
Flood-ravaged Queensland's online job ads are expected to rebound swiflty on rebuilding works, which will require an influx of skilled construction and engineering workers.
Advantage Resourcing director of global market intelligence, Bob Olivier, said an urgent review of current on-hire arrangements would go a long way towards addressing short term skill shortages.
"Demand for skilled labour in the diametrically opposed states of Western Australia and Queensland will create a difficult conundrum for the Prime Minister's recently announced initiative of getting two million unemployed and underemployed people back to full time work," Mr Olivier said.
"Booming Western Australia and disaster ravaged Queensland need skilled labour now, yet changes in 2007 to business migration practices have made it virtually impossible for most recruitment firms to place with their clients the overseas professionals these states desperately need."
