Australian job adverts drop for second month

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Jobs advertised on the internet and in newspapers in Australia fell for the second consecutive month, and there are no clear signs of the labour market bouncing back in the coming months.

The total number of job ads fell 0.8 per cent in November, seasonally adjusted, following a 0.1 per cent fall the month before, the latest ANZ Job Ads Survey found.

The number of jobs advertised in November was 10 per cent lower than a year ago.

ANZ head of Australian economics Justin Fabo said there were conflicting signs as to whether the labour market would stabilise in the coming months.

"Low interest rates are clearly having a positive impact on interest-rate-sensitive sectors of the economy, with housing turnover and prices picking up strongly," he said.

"Tentative signs are emerging that the strength in housing and the lower Australian dollar are beginning to flow into better conditions for domestic retailers, with retail sales rising solidly in recent months."

Fabo said the slowing in the mining investment boom was expected to weigh on jobs growth.

"The resources boom is now moving into the operational/production phase which is expected to be less labour intensive than the investment phase," he said.

"While this will likely see net exports contribute strongly to gross domestic product growth over the next few years, growth in domestic demand and employment is likely to remain more subdued."

Official labour force figures will be released on Thursday, and the unemployment rate is forecast to rise 0.1 percentage points to 5.8 per cent, an AAP survey of 13 economists showed.

The number of people with jobs is forecast to have risen by 10,000 in November, after a rise of 1100 the month before.

The number of job ads on the internet fell 1 per cent in November, in seasonally adjusted terms, while those placed in newspapers had fallen 0.8 per cent, ANZ said.

- AAP