2014-15
Skill Shortages – Statistical Summary
Applicant fields
Largest
Proportion of vacancies filled
Smallest
• Occupation
• Engineering professions
• Accountants
• Building technicians
• Location
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
Highest
• Occupation
• Hairdressers
• Nurses
• Automotive trades
• Location
• Regional NT
• Tasmania
• ACT
Lowest
• Occupation
• School teachers
• Building technicians
• Child care occupations
• Location
• Regional NT
• Brisbane
• Hobart
• Occupation
• Hairdressers
• Automotive trades
• Food trades
• Location
• Regional NSW
• Regional Victoria
• ACT
Research undertaken by the Department of Employment shows that there are more than enough applicants with
relevant qualifications, or appropriate skills and experience, for vacancies in almost every occupation. That said,
employers do not necessarily readily fill their vacancies with workers who meet their needs.
In 2014-15, there was an average of 13.6 applicants for each skilled vacancy (15.8 for professions and 12.1 for
technicians and trades), of whom an average of 2.2 were considered by employers to be suitable.

Most applicants held relevant qualifications, but around three quarters of qualified applicants were
considered to be unsuitable.
Despite the large applicant numbers, more than a quarter of skilled vacancies remained unfilled four to six weeks
after advertising (unchanged from 2013-14).

The reasons for the unfilled vacancies are varied, but include: no applicants (5 per cent of employers); no
suitable applicants (qualified applicants often lacked experience or other attributes employers sought); and
employers being unable to agree on the terms and conditions of employment with the preferred candidates.
A small number of occupations remain subject to significant widespread skill shortages, but there has been a
marked decline in the extent of skill shortages over recent years (Figure 1).

Shortages of technicians and trades workers are more prevalent than those for professionals.

National shortages are evident for 21 occupations: 1 manager, 6 professions and 14 trades.
Figure 1: Proportion of occupations in shortage, Australia, 2007-08 to 2014-15
Professions
100
90
Technicians and Trades
88%
80
70
All SERA Occupations
97%
71%
76%
60
67%
(%) 50
59%
41%
44%
40
30
30%
31%
20
10
17%
17%
0
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
Source: Department of Employment, Skill shortage research, based on a set of around 70 consistently assessed occupations
Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch
Department of Employment
Page 1 of 4
Figure 2: SERA results, Australia, 2007-08 to 2014-15
Applicants per vacancy (RHS)
Suitable applicants per vacancy (RHS)
Proportion of vacancies filled (LHS)
100
30
90
80
65%
70
50
49%
15
14.7
0
13.6
12.7
10.8
30
10
9.4
7.4
20
25
20
40
10
73%
(no.)
(%)
60
65%
61%
58%
73%
70%
7.4
5
5.0
1.2
1.7
2.0
1.5
1.9
2.3
2.2
2.2
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
0
Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA)
Location
While the ability of employers to recruit skilled workers varies by state, territory and region, the differences have
narrowed in recent years.

In 2014-15, employers in non-metropolitan areas continued to attract fewer applicants than those in
metropolitan locations, although there was little difference in their ability to fill their vacancies.
o Around 70 per cent of non-metropolitan vacancies were filled compared with 71 per cent of
metropolitan vacancies.

Employers in New South Wales experienced the most difficulty recruiting in 2014-15, filling 65 per cent of
their vacancies and attracting just 1.6 suitable applicants per vacancy. By comparison, employers in South
Australia filled 80 per cent of their vacancies and attracted 2.5 suitable applicants per vacancy.

There were more than 10 applicants per vacancy, on average, in the mainland states, but employers in
Tasmania and the two territories attracted markedly smaller fields of applicants.
o Suitable applicant numbers were lowest, though, in New South Wales and Victoria.
o While employers in Tasmania and the Northern Territory had small numbers of applicants, they
generally had the choice of multiple suitable applicants and filled relatively high proportions of
their vacancies.
Figure 3: SERA results, States and Territories, 2014-15
Applicants per vacancy (RHS)
Suitable applicants per vacancy (RHS)
Proportion of vacancies filled (LHS)
100
30
90
80
70
65%
80%
80%
73%
77%
73%
66%
25
20
18.7
50
40
77%
14.9
16.3
13.0
15
14.7
13.6
30
20
6.5
7.5
(no.)
(%)
60
71%
10
5
6.8
10
0
1.6
1.9
2.4
2.5
2.7
2.0
2.5
2.2
2.2
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Australia
0
Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA)
Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch
Department of Employment
Page 2 of 4
Occupation
There are significantly larger numbers of applicants and qualified applicants for vacancies for professionals than
for technicians and trades. It is notable, though, that applicant numbers fell slightly in 2014-15 for professional
vacancies and rose slightly for technicians and trades worker vacancies.

The large candidate fields for professional vacancies are likely to reflect, at least in part, rising numbers of
higher education graduates entering the labour market and the recent softer demand for some
professionals (such as engineers).
Figure 4: SERA results, Professions and Technicians and Trades, 2009-10 to 2014-15
Applicants per vacancy (RHS)
100
Suitable applicants per vacancy (RHS)
Professions
70
73%
61%
81%
76%
25
61%
62%
61%
66%
69%
69%
20
19.6
16.5
40
10.7
20
9.2
15
15.8
11.0
10.7
8.9
10.5
11.7
10
12.1
5
6.7
10
1.8
0
1.7
2.2
2.9
3.0
1.5
2.1
2.8
1.7
(no.)
50
(%)
78%
67%
60
30
30
Technicians and Trades
90
80
Proportion of vacancies filled (LHS)
2.1
1.6
1.8
0
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA)
Professions

Competition for professional jobs from qualified applicants remains strong, but there was a slight
tightening in this labour market between 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Vacancies for engineering professions attract particularly large numbers of qualified applicants
(an average of 33.7 per vacancy), as do those for accountants (22.4).

Almost every vacancy for school teacher has been filled in recent years, although there are relatively
small numbers of applicants (but most are qualified).
Technicians and Trades

Candidate fields are generally smaller for technicians and trades worker vacancies than they are for
professionals and, since 2011-12, a lower proportion of these vacancies has been filled.

Recruitment of hairdressers and automotive trades workers is particularly difficult, with relatively few
qualified applicants (3.9 and 1.5 per vacancy, respectively) and small proportions of vacancies filled.
Figure 5: SERA results, Selected occupational clusters, 2014-15
Applicants per vacancy (RHS)
92%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Suitable applicants per vacancy (RHS)
Professions
76%
76%
73%
Proportion of vacancies filled (LHS)
60
Technicians and Trades
76%
71%
70%
50
69%
63%
43.7
61%
34.0
40
42%
30
20
21.6
(no.)
(%)
100
17.6
12.8
3.2
3.7
2.6
7.0
1.3
9.4
2.9
2.2
2.2
7.9
1.4
9.9
1.7
10
7.3
1.4
3.4
0.7
0
Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA)
Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch
Department of Employment
Page 3 of 4
SERA results summary, 2014-15
SERA results 2014-15 (Annual change)
Proportion of
vacancies filled
Applicants per
vacancy
Suitable
applicants per
vacancy
no.
no.
% percentage
points
Major Groups
Professions
Technicians and Trades
Occupations by cluster
Accountants
Automotive trades
Building professions
Building technicians
Child care occupations
Construction trades
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades
Engineering professions
Engineering trades
Food trades
Hairdressers
Health professions
Nurses
School teachers
States and Territories
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Region
Metropolitan
Non-metropolitan
Total - All SERA, Australia
Labour
market
annual
change
15.8 (-3.8)
12.1 (0.4)
2.8
1.8
(-0.2)
(0.2)


(-12)
(5)
(-2)
(3)
(12)
(-2)
(0)
(-2)
(6)
(12)
(-12)
(-3)
(-5)
(4)
34.0
7.3
21.6
26.4
11.0
7.9
17.3
43.7
17.6
9.9
3.4
9.4
7.0
12.8
(-2.0)
(-0.5)
(-2.4)
(0.0)
(2.7)
(0.0)
(2.3)
(5.6)
(0.4)
(-1.1)
(-0.8)
(-0.4)
(1.1)
(-0.4)
2.6
1.4
2.2
2.9
1.8
1.4
2.6
3.7
2.2
1.7
0.7
2.9
1.3
3.2
(-3.2)
(0.1)
(-1.0)
(-0.6)
(0.4)
(0.1)
(0.8)
(0.1)
(0.2)
(0.2)
(-0.7)
(0.2)
(-0.3)
(0.7)

M





M




M

65
71
77
80
73
80
77
66
(-1)
(-6)
(4)
(-2)
(-5)
(3)
(6)
(-7)
13.0
18.7
14.9
16.3
14.7
6.5
7.5
6.8
(-0.4)
(-3.8)
(-1.5)
(3.7)
(-2.0)
(-1.1)
(1.8)
(0.4)
1.6
1.9
2.4
2.5
2.7
2.0
2.5
2.2
(-0.2)
(-0.6)
(-0.2)
(0.2)
(0.1)
(0.2)
(0.9)
(0.4)


M
M



M
74
70
73
(-1)
(0)
(0)
15.3 (-1.0)
9.9 (-1.3)
13.6 (-1.1)
2.3
2.0
2.2
(0.0)
(-0.1)
(0.0)



78
69
(-3)
(0)
76
61
70
81
77
69
74
76
76
63
42
71
73
92
Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA)
*Total - All SERA includes management and other occupations
Key:  = easing  = tightening  = relatively stable M = mixed indicators
Technical Notes
This report is a summary of the quantifiable results of the Department of Employment’s skill shortage research programme, based on the
Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (SERA). It provides a basis for comparison across locations and occupations, as well as
an historical perspective. It is important, though, to also understand the qualitative information gathered from the research, which is
available at employment.gov.au/skill-shortages.
ISSN 1839-5759
The programme assesses the labour market for around 100 skilled occupations, focusing mainly on professions and trades, but it also
includes a small number of management, technician and other occupations. The Department measures whether vacancies are filled six
weeks after advertising for professions and technicians and four weeks for other occupations. The numbers presented are averages across
a large number of employer contacts and it is important to note that employers’ recruitment experiences can vary widely, even within an
individual occupation in similar locations. Employers’ requirements can be highly specific and candidates for positions may be regarded as
unsuitable even if they hold relevant, formal qualifications. In addition, advertised vacancies can remain unfilled despite attracting suitable
applicants as applicants may not take up offers of employment for a variety of reasons.
There have been minor revisions to historical SERA data. Information about the SERA methodology, as well as analysis of occupational
labour markets and reports and lists of skill shortages, is available at employment.gov.au/skill-shortages. Analysis of the full current time
series (starting 2006-07) and figures for states and territories by region are available in Skill Shortages Australia 2014-15. It is important to
note that occupational coverage of the research also varies from year to year and the list of occupations by cluster changes accordingly.
Results for 2014-15 do not include the large ICT professions labour market. The Department will be undertaking research into the ICT
labour market later in 2015.
Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch
Department of Employment
Page 4 of 4