JOB advertisements in Western Australia have slumped more than 56 per cent during the past 12 months as the engineering sector takes the biggest hit, new figures show.
Latest data from the Olivier Job Index shows the state's mining bust continues to have an effect with about 30 per cent of the fall coming from a drop in engineering job ads.
Overall, WA job ads plummeted 56.3 per cent, beaten only by New South Wales where ads slumped 56.4 per cent, with sales and IT the worst affected. Nationally, job ads during the past year dropped 51.9 per cent.
The index fell 4.3 per cent in May.
Olivier Group director Robert Olivier said that, as in the broader economy, there were mixed messages.
"The decline is less than previous months, and that fits with the other positive economic messages we've been hearing," Mr Olivier said.
According to the index, there were 16,850 additional job advertisements from the first to the final week of May.
The only sector not to fall was advertising and media, which rose 11.86 per cent in May.
Mr Olivier said that could indicate that businesses were trying to promote their way out of the slump before the end of the financial year.
Sectors worst hit in May were engineering, human resources, administration, and trades and services.
Full-time jobs fell 4.4 per cent, part-time jobs rose 5.3 per cent and temporary and contract positions were up 5.9 per cent.
"Employers may be coming back into the market, wanting people, but not yet confident enough to add to their head count," Mr Olivier said.