Job advertisements in May experienced a 2.5 percent decline amid ongoing tight labor market conditions and slower emigration, according to the Reserve Bank of Fiji’s latest June Economic Review released this week.
The decline, the report suggested, was “possibly due to higher operational costs or some employers turning to migrant labor amid tight labor market conditions.”
“Lower recruitment intentions could also partly reflect slower emigration,” the RBF noted.
Resident departures for a year or more for employment, education, permanent migration, and other purposes decreased by 24.9 percent to 6,084 people during the month, attributed to tighter student and work visa requirements in Australia and New Zealand.
“However, with Australia’s recent launch of the Pacific Engagement Visa, outward migration could rise slightly in the near term,” RBF cautioned.
This fall was driven by declines in the community, social and personal services (-3.0pp), wholesale and retail (-1.9pp), finance, insurance, and real estate (-1.5pp), and electricity and water (-1.5pp) sectors.
While hiring intentions improved in the construction (up 4.4 points), agriculture, forestry and fishing (up 1.3 points), and transport, storage and communication (up 0.8 points) sectors, there were declines in the community, social and personal services (down 3.0 points), wholesale and retail (down 1.9 points), finance, insurance, and real estate (down 1.5 points), and electricity and water (down 1.5 points) sectors.