Picture this: it’s January 2025, the new year is in full swing, and Australia’s job market is kicking off with fresh momentum. After a sluggish end to 2024, job ads on SEEK have roared back to life, jumping 5.1% month-on-month—the biggest surge since October 2021.
At the same time, advertised salaries are inching up at a steady pace, rising 3.6% year-on-year. What’s behind this rebound? And what does it mean for job seekers, employers, and the economy? Let’s unpack the latest SEEK data.
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Jobs are back in a big way
The SEEK Employment Report paints a clear picture: hiring is bouncing back. That 5.1% surge in job ads isn’t just a seasonal blip—it’s a sign that employers are hitting the ground running in 2025. After three months of declining activity, this feels like a reset. According to SEEK’s Senior Economist, Dr. Blair Chapman, “Hirers have a clearer vision for the year ahead,” and they’re wasting no time filling roles.
The upswing isn’t limited to one region. Every state and territory—except for Tasmania, which dipped slightly (down 0.6%)—saw job ads rise. South Australia led the charge with an 11.4% increase, driven by demand for healthcare, medical, manufacturing, transport, and logistics workers. Over in Western Australia, an 8.5% boost was fueled by trades, mining, and an 18.4% surge in ICT jobs. Meanwhile, Queensland, NSW, and Victoria leaned on logistics and manufacturing to drive their gains.
So, what’s fueling this hiring spree? Large-scale infrastructure projects and a red-hot housing market are creating demand for hands-on roles—engineers (up 16% m/m), machine operators (16%), and assembly workers (17%) are all in high demand. Even sectors like real estate (up 9.6%) and mining (8.6%) are seeing stronger hiring activity. The one outlier? Consulting & Strategy, which slipped 5.1%, showing that not every industry is on the upswing. But here’s the twist: while job ads are soaring, applications per job ad barely moved—down just 0.1% from December.
That means job seekers still face stiff competition, with application levels remaining well above historical norms. This suggests that while more opportunities exist, a large pool of job seekers, potentially driven by economic uncertainty and the ease of online applications, are vying for each position, creating a landscape where demand and competition simultaneously intensify.
Salaries: slow but steady growth
Switching gears to pay, the SEEK Advertised Salary Index tells a different story. Salaries rose 0.3% month-on-month in January—the fastest pace since July 2024—but annual growth has plateaued at 3.6% for the third straight month. That’s ahead of headline inflation (2.4%), but with living costs rising faster for those with mortgages or rent, real wage growth remains sluggish.
Across the states, the ACT saw the biggest annual salary boost at 4.6%, its fastest pace in recent years. South Australia held steady at 3.7%, while NSW lagged at 3.2%, its weakest growth since September 2022—a reflection of softer labor demand. Interestingly, Tasmania’s salaries remained stable despite a 2.8% employment drop in 2024, suggesting a tighter job market is keeping wages afloat.
By industry, Legal roles led the pack with a 7.8% yearly pay hike, fueled by consistent demand. Real Estate & Property (6.2%) and Banking & Financial Services (5.6%) weren’t far behind, with finance jobs seeing a notable 2.9% quarterly jump. Education & Training, once a high-flyer at 7.6% annual growth last May, has cooled to 4.8%. Meanwhile, Advertising, Arts & Media is trailing at just 1.0%, a sign of flat demand since early 2024.
The big picture
So, what’s the takeaway? The job market is settling into a more balanced rhythm—stronger than late 2024 but not heading into overdrive. Job ads are up, but Dr. Chapman cautions against calling this a full-blown trend reversal just yet. Salaries are growing, but they’re not keeping pace with rising costs for many workers.
For job seekers, it’s a mixed bag—more opportunities, especially in industrial and construction sectors, but also fierce competition and wage growth that isn’t surging. Employers, on the other hand, are actively hiring, particularly in hands-on industries, but aren’t pushing pay increases beyond measured levels. January 2025 marks a fresh start for Australia’s job market. The 5.1% surge in job ads signals confidence, driven by real demand—roads to build, homes to construct, goods to move. But with salary growth holding steady at 3.6%, the story remains one of measured progress rather than runaway gains. The question now is whether this momentum can last—or if a new set of economic challenges lies ahead.
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