SYDNEY – Australian job advertisements rose for a second month in April, suggesting the labor market remained healthy although the outlook is clouded by mounting global trade risks.
Data from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and employment website Indeed showed the number of job ads increased by 0.5 percent in April from March, when they rose 0.4 percent.
Job ads in April were down 5.1 percent from a year earlier, although they remained 16.2 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The Reserve Bank of Australia skipped a chance to adjust interest rates in April but is widely expected to cut rates by a quarter point to 3.85 percent this month due to the hefty U.S. tariffs on China that have fuelled fears of a global recession.
“Global trade uncertainty is expected to impact domestic consumer and business sentiment,” said Aaron Luk, an economist at ANZ. “Lower economic activity will likely lead to less demand for labor.”
Luk added that the bank now expects the jobless rate will peak at 4.4 percent, rather than 4.2 percent previously, due to the trade uncertainties.
