A strong construction industry, a shortage of skilled specialists and a demand for digital marketing are among the trends that will drive jobs growth in WA this year, according to recruiters Hays.

“Towards the end of 2014 we saw business confidence starting to rise after the post-Federal Budget slump, which will feed through into the labour market in the first few months of 2015, ” WA regional director Chris Kent said.

“In 2015 we will see labour demand improving as employers invest in full-time hires. In particular, demand will be in high-level skills, especially in technical areas such as IT, construction and engineering.”

Recent development approvals, particularly for inner-city high-rise apartments, meant Perth’s construction industry would remain strong. Continuing work at big infrastructure projects, such as Elizabeth Quay and Perth Stadium, would see qualified tradespeople in high demand.

Hays also predicted a new skills shortage would emerge in 2015. Rather than broad industry-wide shortages, the demand would become far more focused around “super skills”. Each industry and sector already had a list of niche skills that were in short supply, and this would intensify.

“Digital marketing will also be a big area of jobs growth, ” Mr Kent said. “As the technology and marketing worlds integrate, mobile optimisation will continue to be a significant priority for businesses.”

Other trends highlighted by Hays included the narrowing gap between IT and marketing teams and using innovative strategies to attract and retain talent while keeping salary costs down.

There has been a sharp rise in employer hiring intentions for the first quarter of 2015, according to Hudson’s quarterly employment trends report released last month.

Hudson director Dean Davidson said employers were optimistic about the year ahead, despite lukewarm economic conditions.

 

© The West Australian

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