ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Q3 2021 Survey

For employers and employees to get the forward-looking perspective on hiring in your area.

The survey for the third quarter of 2021 was conducted by interviewing a representative sample of 1,531 employers in Australia. All survey participants were asked: “How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of September 2021 as compared to the current quarter?”

Interviewing was carried out during the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak where survey findings are likely to reflect the impact of the global health emergency. Additional questions were also asked to capture the impact of COVID-19. These findings are available in this quarter's infographic.

Australia's Employment Outlook for July - Sep 2021

Australia is forecast to continue its upbeat hiring pace. From July to September, Australian employers are looking optimistic, reporting a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +17% for the second consecutive quarter.

Hiring Expectations

Of the 43 countries surveyed, Australia reported one of the strongest hiring intentions following the United States and Taiwan, and is also the most improved with hiring prospects 30 percentage points stronger when compared with this time one year ago, when COVID-19 first had an impact on hiring sentiment. Find out more.

Australia's Talent Shortage

Despite strong hiring intentions, additional findings from ManpowerGroup’s latest Talent Shortage Survey conducted in January 2021 highlights a global shortage in talent at a 15-year high as hard and soft skills are more difficult to find than ever before. Locally 67% of Australian employers alone report difficulty filling jobs, one of the greatest increases since 2018 compared to other countries, where only 34% of Australian employers were having trouble in 2018.

In these unpredictable times, one thing is certain – this crisis should be a catalyst for a new future of work that is more flexible, more diverse, and more wellbeing-oriented than we could ever have imagined. Find out more.

Finding Talent