Head east for the jobs, new data reveals

Figures from the Bureau of Statistics show the number of vacant jobs in mining has slipped by 5400 in the past two years, and in construction by 6700. Over the same period the number in manufacturing has slipped just 1200, despite reports of factory closures.

There were 11,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in June and only 4200 vacant jobs in mining.

Australia's changing industrial landscape means Western Australia and Queensland are no longer the jobseeker magnets they once were. In the past two years the number of vacant jobs in WA has collapsed 38 per cent and the number in Queensland 41 per cent.

In the same period the number of vacant jobs in NSW has climbed 12 per cent. The industries increasingly keen to take on new workers are finance, wholesale trade, the arts, and health care and social assistance. Many are in NSW and Victoria. Victoria has 8.5 per cent fewer vacancies than two years ago.

The changing fortunes of the public service have hit the ACT particularly hard. Australia-wide there are 20 per cent fewer public sector vacancies than two years ago. In the ACT, the number of vacant public sector jobs has collapsed 72 per cent. There are now just 300 vacant public sector jobs in the ACT.

WA remains the most promising place to be unemployed. In May there were 3.7 unemployed West Australians for every vacancy, a low figure but nowhere near as low as 1.7 two years ago. In NSW, the figure is 4.3 unemployed per vacancy and in Victoria 6.3. Queensland has a ratio of 6.1, South Australia 7 and Tasmania 8.9.

Nationwide there are five unemployed Australians chasing each vacant job. Two years ago there were only 3.6.

How many unemployed for each vacant job?

Unemployed per vacancy

May 2014 (May 2012)

NSW 4.3 (4.2)

Victoria 6.3 (5.1)

Queensland 6.1 (3.2)

South Australia 7 (4.6)

Western Australia 3.7 (1.6)

Tasmania 8.9 (8.9)

Northern Territory 1.1 (2.2)

Australian Capital Territory 3 (1.6)

Australia 5 (3.6)

Source: ABS 6354.0