Hire in Australia

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Hire in Australia

The services sector heavily dominates the Australian economy. Despite a population of over 25 million, the unemployment rate is astonishingly as low as 5%. Australia survived the pandemic boldly, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics stated that its employment rates, which were earlier hit by the pandemic, jumped back with an increase of 5.1%. With lively destinations, beautiful weather, and hundreds of job opportunities in various sectors, Australia is one of the most incredible nations to live and work in. 

In the last decade, Australia has shown exemplary progress in terms of the job market, economic growth, and low inflation. Its multicultural and welcoming society is perfect for young and qualified professionals and graduates. The education, science, and technology sector has shown considerable growth in the last year and has helped boost employment rates.  Australia is one of the few nations close to a pure economy with free-market forces at work in most sectors. The place liberally permits and invites skilled workers, qualified academicians, and graduates worldwide.

Overview of Australia

As of 2021, Australia is the twelfth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The service sector heavily dominates the economy with the lion's share of 62.7% and employs about 78% of its working population, followed by the industrial and agricultural sectors.  The country has not been hit by recession in the last 26 years and has shown uninterrupted overall financial growth. 

Total population – 25 million+ 

GDP – 1359.33 billion USD (FY20)

Economic Overview

As per the National Bureau of Statistics reports, the Australian economy has bounced back in 2021 after the pandemic enforced restrictions. The GDP of Australia has been growing with an annual rate of 4.54 %, and it has reached the valuation of 1359.33 billion USD. The experts have stated that in the April quarter for the year 2021, the unemployment rate has been reduced to 5.5%.

Market size 

The COVID-19 pandemic has specifically affected the personal services sector of Australia, including the accounting services industry, management consulting industry, and other technical services departments. However, recent growth suggests that the industry revenue is expected to increase at an annual rate of 1.8% between 2021-26. Finance, health services, and consumer goods retail are the emerging sectors in the market.

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A brief glimpse of the industries

  • Due to a decline in private capital investment and decreasing interest rates, the finance sector in Australia has been witnessing a tumultuous time. Between the year 2016-2017, Australia witnessed an increase in the prices of private residential properties. However, a decline in the cash flow has led to a decrease in the revenue generated by the private sector by around 4.6% in 2021 because of the pandemic. 


  • Australia's growing population has led to an increase in the demand for health services. General hospitals are the largest source of revenue for the sector. However, with the outbreak of Coronavirus, the health services have been channelized towards containing the virus. However, the revenue is expected to grow significantly by 1.5% by 2021. 


  • The iron ore mining industry is expected to see a growth of 15.8% to 128.7 billion USD because of increased iron ore prices. The Australian industry is driving hard to fulfill the steel demands in China and cater to its growing economy. 


  • Increased internet activities and a digital bloom have increased industry revenue for IT services and computer system design services. The industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 4.8% from 2021 onwards. Australia's average download speed is 58.83 Mbps, while the average upload speed is 21.44 Mbps.


  • Like many other countries, Australia has also witnessed slow conditions in the retail sector. With the consumers isolated, the expenditure on essential goods has increased, but the overall spending in the retail sector has been falling because of the unstable economical environment.

Cost of living in Australia

Australia currently has the 16th highest cost of living in the world. It is one of the liveliest cosmopolitan states globally, and its popularity amongst expats contributes to its high cost of living. Despite a recent boom in property rates, some of the cities in the country do offer an affordable cost of living. Adelaide and Hobart's city are comparatively the most affordable cities to live in Australia.

Category Area of expense Estimated cost USD Range

Utilities

Electricity, Water, Heating, Internet services, Prepaid mobile tariff

A$ 220.97

US $125 – 400

Rental rates

Apartment (1 room) in city and outside city,

Apartment (2-3 rooms) In the city and outside the city.

A$ 1642.69

A$ 2797.8

US $ 1200.00

US $ 2657.12

Transportation Cost

One way ticket local transport, Taxi tariff, Gasoline.

A$ 4.30-150.0

US $ 3.00 - 6.00

Food and Beverage

Grocery, Vegetables, Meat, and Poultry

A$ 2.29 – 18.22

US $ 1.00 - 48.00

Salaries and Financing

Average monthly net salary

Interest rates

A$ 4839.9

3.68%

US $ 3700

2.50-5.00%

Cost of Renting

The cost of living on rent in Australia depends on the location and the size of the house. A one-bedroom apartment may cost you about A$ 1,642.69, depending upon the area. The rent is subjected to an increase depending upon the amenities available and the lifestyle desired. 

Cost of living depending upon your location 

The vast allocation of resources has resulted in different costs of living for different cities. Mercer's recent survey has recently declared that the Australian cities have witnessed a reduction in the cost of living, which is an amazing factor for individuals looking to relocate. 

  • Cities categorized as Tier 1 cities are metropolitan cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
  • Cities categorized as Tier 2 cities are upcoming centers like Gold Coast, Cairns, Geelong, etc.
  • Cities categorized as Tier 3 cities are locations with notable growth potential like Ballarat, Fraser Coast, Maitland, etc.

Mentioned below are details regarding the cost of living in the leading Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities of Australia.

Cities (Cost of living) AUD (Cost of living) USD
Sydney, New South Wales $ 1,450 $ 1,010
Brisbane, Queensland $ 1,350 $ 950
Melbourne Victoria $ 1, 300 $ 900
Hobart, Tasmania $ 1,250 $ 870
Perth $ 1,500 $ 1,050

The top sectors that are expected to hire in 2021 in Australia are: -

Top Industries looking to hire Employment numbers in 2021
Health services 872,102
Professional services and IT sector 839,856
Community services sector 787,720
Consumer goods retailing 656,435
Public general hospitals 390,322
Supermarkets and grocery stores 361,340
Temporary staff services 361,269
Government schools 321,223
Aged care residential services 308,975
Personal welfare services 276,258


Top skills in Australia

Australia has a free-market economy and is heavily dominated by the service sector. Consequently, it is keen on hiring skilled individuals and highly qualified professionals trained in various hard and soft skills. From high-level technicians to creative graphic designers, techie experts, and artistic minds, there are fantastic job opportunities available for all these skills.

Major skills and areas which have witnessed a recent growth rate

  • Computer Science/IT 
  • Business 
  • Communication 
  • Graphic Design (UX Designer) 
  • Language (Academic and creative opportunities)

Top skills city-wise occupation-wise

Every city in Australia has its qualities, making them unique and suitable for certain industries/sectors. In addition, Australia is a beautiful country with many cities, and its diverse landscapes create special work opportunities for many enthusiastic immigrants and expats.

  • Hobart – With an average salary of A$ 52,000 per annum, Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, is one of the best cities to live in Australia. This city is home to some of the most beautiful seaports of Australia. It is known for its import and export businesses, catamaran factories, large breweries, and boutique retail shopping outlets. The wine industry is thriving here thanks to steady growth in local wine production.
  • Melbourne – It is the capital of Victoria and one of the most developed cities in Australia. The commercial hotbed for the latest IT services, financial services, accountancy, and graphic designing. The tourism industry is one of the most thriving industries in Melbourne and generates considerable revenue every year for the economy.
  • Sydney – The average salary in Sydney is A$ 66,532 and is one of the most important tourist destinations. Some of the most popular jobs that will pay you well in Sydney are accountant, account manager, and operations manager. It is the leading city of Australia and is a hub for job opportunities. It is ranked 11 in the world in terms of job opportunities available.

Hiring Cost

The cost of hiring is an extremely important facet for employers while conducting a recruitment process. You need to think about several factors before deciding to hire new personnel, such as:

  • Onboarding and training 
  • Opportunity costs 
  • Interviews and hiring processes 
  • Time invested

Salary structure for various roles 

The table below highlights the average salaries that are offered to employees in Australia according to different sectors:

Business Sector Average Annual Salary (AUD)
Education and Training $98,649
Wholesale Trade $83,595
Transport, Postal, Warehousing $88,166
Accommodation, Cafes, and Restaurants $59,582
Retail Trade $66,092
Other Services $71,739
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $103,735
Financial and Insurance Services $106,730
Information Media and Telecommunications $108,124
Construction $88,186
Manufacturing $80,319
Rental, Hiring, and Real Estate Services $82,388
Arts and Recreation Services $80,958
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services $102,507
Administrative and Support Services $80,678
Health Care and Social Assistance $93,496
Public Administration and Safety $96,876
Mining $143,067


Employment laws in Australia

Australia boasts of a highly regulated employment system with well-defined federal and state laws. Factors such as work hours, penalty rates, and overtime payment vary according to the industries. The National Employment Standards regulates the following employment aspects –

  • Maximum work hours 
  • Paid and unpaid leaves
  • Termination of employment 
  • Redundancy pay 
  • Workplace surveillance; and
  • Anti-discrimination

The laws and regulations that govern the employment relationships in Australia are based upon

  • Legislation (federal, state, and territory laws) 
  • Industrial instruments 
  • Contractual agreements
  • The common law
  • Social security laws

Australia Remote Hiring Trends 2022

Hiring Activity in Australia 2022

Top companies hiring in Australia in 2022 include AQuity Solutions, Semrush, Vdart Inc, GOGO Vacations, and Smarte Carte. The growth of hiring activity is remarkable, with a 53% increase in recruitment across the country noted in February of 2022. In Western Australia, recruitment activity increased by 68% in January 2022. One-third of employers expect to increase their staff numbers. Top jobs in demand for skilled employees include registered nurses, secondary school teachers, software and application programmers, electricians, and scientific and technical services jobs.

Top Skills in Demand in Australia

Remote job titles being hired in 2022 include head of engineering with a 22.9% remote availability, site reliability engineer with a 30.8% remote availability, user experience researcher with a 10.9% remote availability, back end developer with a 14.2% remote availability, and a machine language engineer with a 17.6% remote availability. Remote jobs in Australia available right now include resume writer and design research lead.

In 2021, 41% of Australian employed people regularly worked remotely, which is an increase from 32% in 2019. The pandemic has factored into the increase in remote work in Australia and other countries but the trend continues upward in 2022 and is expected to rise. Remote work is easily accessible to people in the country as nearly 99% of Australians have access to the internet.

Three of four people surveyed want to work a hybrid of office work and home work and only 10% wanted to remain traditionally employed face-to-face. 94% of those surveyed were happiest with flexible work hours and flexible locations. Of workers surveyed about allowing their employers to track their hours worked, 42% would agree to be tracked with devices. In regards to a work-life balance, 13% of Australians worked more than 50 hours per week. A good work-life balance is considered a top priority among Australian job seekers.


How Can Skuad Help You with Hiring in Australia?

Hiring the best talent in Australia is a complex process and demands a thorough understanding of the local laws, cost of living, cost of hiring, and several other essential aspects. Utilize Skuad’s unified employment platform as your one-stop solution for all intricacies involved in the recruitment process. You will save a significant amount of time and resources to focus on other productive channels. Connect with Skuad to know more.

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