Labour Market Research – Health Professionals
Western Australia
June 2015
Occupations in cluster
Rating
234611
Medical Laboratory Scientist*
No shortage
251211
Medical Diagnostic Radiographer
No shortage
251212
Medical Radiation Therapist*
No shortage
251214
Sonographer
Shortage
251411
Optometrist
No shortage
251511-13
Hospital/Retail Pharmacist
Regional difficulty
252312
Dentist*
No shortage
252411
Occupational Therapist
No shortage
252511
Physiotherapist
Regional difficulty
252611
Podiatrist*
No shortage
252711
Audiologist
Shortage
252712
Speech Pathologist*
No shortage
* Occupations assessed at the national level, separate rating not available for Western Australia
Key issues


A significant difference in the ratings of some health professionals compared with last year has been
the change from no shortages across most of the cluster to regional recruitment difficulty for some
occupations.
Shortages of Sonographers has been consistent for several years in WA, but problems with
recruiting qualified professionals, such as Physiotherapists and Pharmacists to work in regional
areas of the state is a relatively new situation.
o There are no shortages of qualified Physiotherapists and Pharmacists within the state, but
many have no desire to work and live in areas outside the metropolitan area. The reasons for
this situation are not clearly defined.
Survey results



In this year’s survey of occupations within the health professions cluster, 71 per cent of vacancies
surveyed were filled within six weeks of advertising, compared with a 61 per cent fill rate in 2014.
About 76 per cent of all metropolitan vacancies were filled compared with 50 per cent of regional
positions.
Of all the health professions surveyed at the state level, only Physiotherapists and Pharmacists were
rated differently to those of 2014 survey.
o Both occupations have been rated as experiencing a Regional recruitment difficulty, compared
with the 2014 rating of No Shortage for both.
Labour Economics Office Western Australia
Department of Employment
Page 1
Figure 1. Proportion of vacancies filled (%), number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy,
Health professions, Western Australia, 2007-08 to 2014-15
100
20
90
18
80
16
Proportion of vacancies filled - LHS
70
14
60
12
(%) 50
40
10 (no.)
8
30
6
Applicants per vacancy - RHS
20
4
10
2
Suitable applicants per vacancy - RHS
0
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
0
2014-15
Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised
Reasons applicants were unsuitable


The majority of unsuitable applicants lacked experience in specialised areas or practical experience
working in the relevant professional environment.
Others lacked additional skills, such as administrative/management skills or demonstrated poor
communication and interpersonal skills.
Demand and supply trends


Demand for health professionals is driven by a variety of factors including: population growth, the
increased proportion of an ageing population, an increase of rates in chronic diseases, changes to
public health policy and an increased awareness of the importance of health preventative measures
by the public.
o The Department of Employment’s Internet Vacancy Index data shows that internet vacancies in
WA for Physiotherapists and Pharmacists remained steady over the year to March 2015, as did
most other state surveyed occupations within the cluster.
o Internet vacancies for Medical Diagnostic Radiographers were the exception and increased
(41.67%) over the year to March 2015. However, there was still no shortage of suitable
applicants to fill advertised vacancies.
Formal qualifications and graduation from university with a four year bachelor degree in the
relevant discipline of physiotherapy or pharmacy and registration with the Australian Health
practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) are minimum requirements for employment.
o In March 2015, the numbers of registered Physiotherapists in WA increased (5.75%) compared
with the previous year and the high percentage of females (about 72%) in the occupation
remained constant.
o Over the same period the number of registered Pharmacists increased in WA marginally
(1.81%), with females representing over half (about 62%) of the profession.
Labour Economics Office Western Australia
Department of Employment
Page 2
o
The age groupings of both professions with the highest participation rates in the workforce
correspond to those years when most females are of child bearing and rearing ages and may
go some way to explain why there is a regional recruitment difficulty.
Labour Economics Office Western Australia
Department of Employment
Page 3