As retailers begin recruitment drives ahead of the peak holiday shopping season, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows there were 46,100 job vacancies available in retail in August.
This is an increase of 5800 vacancies – or 14.4 per cent – compared to May this year. Overall, job vacancies declined 2.1 per cent but the retail sector still struggles to attract workers.
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Paul Zahra said this is a “significant concern” for businesses looking to meet festive demand.
“Unfortunately, this situation is exacerbating during the most critical time of year on the retail calendar – the Christmas trading period.
“Retailers have already begun their recruitment drives for tens of thousands of additional Christmas casuals to cope with demand, however with the scale of the labour crisis getting worse for retail, it’s unlikely that businesses will be able to fill all the roles they have available to trade at their full potential.”
Zahra added that 90 per cent of ARA members say labour shortages have stayed the same or gotten worse for their businesses over the past three months.
“We had some quick wins out of the Jobs and Skills Summit, including an increase to Australia’s skilled migration cap, funding to speed up visa processing times, and the ability for pensioners to work more shifts without their entitlements being affected. However, the benefits of these initiatives won’t be immediate.”
The retail staffing crisis is impacting all types of retailers. Australia Post today said it is actively recruiting for up to 6000 new team members, looking to attract a wide range of job hunters, from school leavers to seniors “and everyone in between” across every state and territory in Australia. The postal company says people with a forklift, truck or motorcycle licence are top of its wish list, with other roles available in sorting, delivery and retail customer service.
Liquor retailer BWS has started the recruitment of 1400 team members as it prepares for the summer peak season, launching a social-media campaign featuring existing team members telling prospective candidates what it is like working there.
