Unpromising job prospects tipped to spark new start-ups

Almost a quarter of Australians are planning a career change this year, while hiring intentions are mixed among employers, according to separate pieces of new research, suggesting many people could be looking to go it alone in 2013.

 

According to Seek Learning, which commissioned Pure Profile to survey 1,257 Australian adults about their careers, only half of Australia’s 11.5 million employees believe they are in the right line of work.

 

The survey shows 51% of people believe they are in the right career, while 22% believe they are not. The remaining 27% are unsure.

 

Meanwhile, 41% admit they ended up in their present career by “falling into it”. Only 5% said they chose their career because it would earn them a lot of money.

 

However, money is the biggest motivator for Australians wanting to change jobs, the research shows. Other key reasons include wanting to do something that helps others, long hours and a bad relationship with their manager.

 

But finding a new job could be harder than people anticipate. According to the latest Hudson report on employment trends, Australian employers’ hiring intentions are mixed.

 

Of the 5,931 employers surveyed, almost 60% intend to keep their staffing levels steady.

 

“Some employers are sitting tight and delaying hiring or, in some cases, looking at ways they can cut costs should circumstances worsen,” Hudson’s Mark Steyn said in a statement.

 

“Others are forging ahead, adapting their business models and continuing to invest, and this is driving the demand for staff.”

 

The report shows information technology is the most positive industry nationally. Approximately 12,300 new ICT jobs are expected to be available in the new year, with further growth anticipated to 2015.

 

In terms of professions, legal is the most positive, although hiring expectations have dropped by 17.1%. Hiring intentions are up the most in sales, marketing and communications.

 

The findings come on the back of the ANZ Job Advertisements Series for December, which shows the number of job advertisements on the internet and in newspapers declined 3.8% month-on-month in December, following a fall of 2.8% in November.

 

The number of job advertisements in December was the lowest since January 2010. It was also the tenth consecutive monthly decline.

 

According to Justin Fabo, ANZ head of Australian economics, corporate and commercial, the ongoing weakness in job advertising suggests business conditions remain challenging.

 

“ANZ’s view is that Australia’s unemployment rate is set to drift higher to around 5.75% from 5.2% currently by mid to late this year,” he said.

 

“We expect growth in the Australian economy to be noticeably below trend this year as the economy transitions towards a lower dependence on mining investment growth.

 

“The Australian dollar is expected to remain elevated and not provide support to the economy while government finances will continue to be a drag on growth.”