Job advertisements in Fiji saw a decline of 2.5% in May, primarily due to the persistently tight labour market and reduced emigration for the month, as per the June Economic Review from the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF). The bank suggested this dip could be a result of increased operation costs or companies seeking migrant labour because of tough labour market conditions. Decreased hiring intentions might also reflect a slow pace of emigration, RBF added.
Moreover, the number of Fiji residents departing for a year or more for various purposes such as employment, education, permanent migration etc., fell by 24.9% to 6084 individuals amid stricter student and work visa requirements in countries like Australia and New Zealand.
However, RBF indicated that the outward migration might slightly increase following Australia’s introduction of the Pacific Engagement Visa.
The decline in job advertisements was primarily due to the community, social and personal services (down by 3.0pp), wholesale and retail (down 1.9pp), finance, insurance, real estate (down 1.5pp), and the electricity and water sectors (down 1.5pp). In contrast, sectors experiencing improved hiring intentions included construction (up 4.4 points), agriculture, forestry and fishing (up 1.3 points), and transport, storage and communication (up 0.8 points).