Jobs growth indicates economic recovery

Published: 14 July 2021. (Note: information was correct at date of publication but may have since been changed or superseded.)

An analysis of online job advertisements indicates the Cairns economy is recovering, although there are concerns about workforce shortages.

There were about 5,700 online job advertisements in the Cairns SA4 area in March 2021, the highest in over four years.

General clerks were the most sought-after occupation (293 advertisements), followed by general sales assistants (261) and registered nurses (178).

According to the latest data, there were 10,407 JobSeeker recipients in the Cairns Local Government Area (LGA) in April 2021, a decrease of 1,309 recipients from the previous month.

Recipients of JobSeeker in the Cairns LGA peaked in May 2020, with 14,507 recipients registered.

Meanwhile, consumer spending in Cairns LGA in March and April 2021 was comparatively higher than the rest of Australia in the same time period.

Consumer spending in the four months to April 21 was also significantly higher than the same period in 2019 (pre-COVID).

The above results do not take into account the impact of recent travel restrictions on parts of NSW which have adversely impacted visitor numbers during what is normally the Far North’s high season for visitation.