While ECEC online job listings remain near historic highs, yearly growth rates stall new data shows

The number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) online job listings in March 2024 remained well above historic levels, however year on year growth rates have stalled according to the latest data released by Jobs and Skills Australia. 

 

The Internet Vacancy Index, which reports new job listings across all work types in Australia on a monthly basis, is a useful indicator as to the level of vacancies across ECEC approved providers at any one point in time and provides a proxy for the degree of shortages they may be experiencing. 

 

March 2024 saw around 4,450 educator jobs listed, a similar level to last year, but nearly double the amount recorded five years ago. With respect to early childhood teachers (ECT) the March totals were also high with 2,283 listings compared to just 692 in 2018. 

 

 

The notable pullback since the peak levels recorded in October and November 2023 reflects the seasonal effects at work in the ECEC sector as kindergarten and preschool children transition off to school and overall enrolment numbers fall back. 

 

That being said, after three consecutive years of strong year on year growth that was responsible for lifting the overall numbers to around where they are at the moment, a slowdown in growth rates appears to be under way. 

 

This is most clear in the centre manager and ECT categories which both saw the number of listings jobs fall in March 2024 compared to last year, with the former down 5 per cent and the latter down 3 per cent, the first such dip in listings since before COVID-19.  

 

 

The educator category saw a rise of 1 per cent, which was lower than that recorded last year of 6 per cent and substantially lower than the 60 per cent and 68 per cent growth witnessed in 2021 and 2022. 

 

Could this be an early indication that the workforce crisis is starting to abate? That approved providers are managing to fill vacancies more easily and therefore have less need to be posting jobs online? That roles are becoming easier to fill? 

 

Unfortunately not. 

 

Listing levels remain near historically high levels underwritten by strong demand for care spurred by substantial Government subsidy supporting families and the consistent growth in new centres.  

 

In addition, as we approach the end of the financial year the many educators currently on subclass 482, 494, 186 and 187 but do not meet the new Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of $70,000 will be faced with very difficult decisions to make as their visa eligibility ceases. 

 

Although the ECEC workforce crisis may have peaked for now, there are still plenty of headwinds remaining that will require coordinated, thoughtful policy making, to help address.