Skill shortages exist when employers are unable to fill or have considerable difficulty in filling vacancies for an occupation, or if there are specialised skill needs in the occupation.
DEEWR assesses skill shortages through a number of means, one of which is to survey employers who have recently advertised vacancies for selected skilled occupations. DEEWR produces lists of shortages for each State and Territory which can be accessed from the State and Territory Skill Shortages Lists available on the DEEWR website.
A new publication, Skill Shortages, Australia, provides an overview of the Australian labour market and reports on the results of ongoing DEEWR skill shortage research. Companion publications for the states and territories are also available, and the publications will be updated on a six monthly basis.
Recruitment difficulties occur when employers have some difficulty filling vacancies for an occupation. There may be an adequate supply of skilled workers, but employers are still unable to attract and recruit sufficient suitable employees.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) conducts surveys of employers’ recruitment experiences to assess the extent of recruitment difficulty in particular regions and industries of Australia. This information is available on the DEEWR website and can be searched by region.
To assist external researchers, industry associations, government agencies and other parties who want to investigate skill shortages using employer surveys, the Australian Bureau of Statistics was asked to develop a common survey instrument. A copy of the draft survey form and important information about administering the survey, collecting the key data and analysing the responses is contained in this document.