Job advertisements in Fiji experienced a 7.2 percent decline up to June, signaling a reduction in job market pressures, according to the Reserve Bank of Fiji’s recent August Economic Review. This decrease is partly due to businesses adjusting their hiring plans amid rising operational costs.
The Reserve Bank noted that approximately 150 companies are included on the Department of Immigration’s Qualified Employers List, which permits these businesses to bring in foreign labor to address skill shortages. Additionally, stricter migration policies in other countries have resulted in fewer Fijians moving abroad.
Overall, there was a reported 33.3 percent drop in the number of individuals leaving Fiji for employment, education, emigration, and other reasons, as of July. This decrease may have led to fewer resignations and consequently fewer job vacancies.
Furthermore, Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua issued a directive on May 1, 2024, allowing the Fiji Immigration Department to exempt these 150 companies from submitting specific information when applying for Priority Work Permits for recruiting foreign nationals. The information exempted includes reasons for not filling the position with a local citizen, evidence of vacancy advertisements, reasons local applicants were deemed unsuitable, intended training for locals, and the names and positions of individuals to be trained.
The names of the listed companies have been published by the Fiji Immigration Department under the title “Qualified Employers List.”