Educator internet job postings still elevated despite seasonality impact kicking in

The number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) educator job postings listed online fell through December and January as seasonality impacted demand, according to data released by Jobs and Skills Australia. 

There were 4,563 internet jobs posted for educators in January, down for the second month in a row and around 13 per cent lower than the highpoint registered in November last year. 

Across the three most populous states, the falls in Queensland and Victoria were less substantial than the Australian average, falling 9 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, but New South Wales has seen a much larger pull back.

Overall, however, it is still too early in the year to judge whether demand for educators peaked in these states with the very high number of educator internet job ads posted in November 2023. 

The same cannot be said for Western Australia and to a lesser extent the ACT. 

With respect to WA it is quite clear that the high point in demand was experienced in mid to late 2022 with an unprecedented spike, but since then the overall number of ads has not matched those levels. 

The ACT is also notable, in that job ad levels have been much more steady over the course of the last eighteen months, which is quite different from the patterns experienced in NSW, QLD and VIC. 

As we gradually move through the seasonally slowest period of the year for educator demand we will start to get a better picture as to what 2024 may have in store on the workforce availability side of things with all eyes still very much focused on the outcomes of the wage negotiations between employer and employee representatives and the Federal Government. 

Any confirmation of a funded pay increase will more than likely impact the supply demand balance of educators very significantly and in turn hopefully turn the page on a challenging period for approved providers from a workforce perspective.