Australia, May 18, 2009 – Even skilled workers are finding it hard to come by jobs these days. More than 43,000 skilled labourers are currently unemployed during the opening months of 2009. This is the worst jobless ratio since 2001.

According to KPMG Econtech, a specialist employment service group of Clarius, their research shows a surged of 46.2 percent in unemployment in the March quarter. Of this figured, the skilled workers – including professionals, associate professionals and tradespeople – peaked at 133,700 from 43,500.

Those looking for employment far outnumber the available positions by 9,800. The trade industry was hit the hardest, specifically the wood and metals sector. There was a reduced demand for accountants. The research shows that chefs are still the most sought after, yet there is a reduction in demand for that particular sector.

According to the Clarius Skill index, seven of 19 occupations that were indexed showed that labour exceeded demand.
“There will continue to be pressure on certain skill sets, and to avoid mass unemployment within any given sector, stimulus must be targeted and strategic with the view to long-term benefits and not ‘quick fix’ solutions,” says Clarius Group executive manager Kym Quick.

Source:
news.com.au