MNI: Australia ANZ Feb Job Ads Down But Trend Remains Firm

By Sophia Rodrigues

     SYDNEY (MNI) - Job advertisements in Australia fell slightly in February

but that followed a strong rise the month before, thus keeping the y/y growth

above 13% for the second month in a row.

     Data published by ANZ Monday showed jobs ads fell 0.3% m/m in February,

following a 6.2% rise in January. In trend terms, job ads rose 0.9% m/m for the

second straight month and was up 12.1% y/y.

     According to ANZ's head of Australian economics David Plank, the data,

along with elevated business conditions and high capacity utilization rate,

suggests further gains in employment and fall in the jobless rate are likely at

least through the first half of the year.

     From the ANZ job-advertisement survey for February:

                             February                       January

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Job Ads (SA*, Change M/M)       -0.3%           +6.2% (no revision)

Job Ads (SA*, Change Y/Y)      +13.3%                        +13.7%

Job Ads (Trend, Change M/M)     +0.9%    +0.9% (revised from +0.7%)

Job Ads (Trend, Change Y/Y)    +12.1%  +12.4% (revised from +11.9%)

--MNI Sydney Bureau; tel: +61 2-9716-5467; email: sophia.rodrigues@marketnews.com

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