Jobs on the Rise in Australia 2021

COVID-19 brought significant disruption to the global economy, and with it came permanent changes to the jobs landscape. Australia’s labour market recorded an unprecedented drop in employment, with tourism, education for international students, and hospitality facing sector-wide impact. Meanwhile, other sectors, such as healthcare, mining, and construction have been resilient and even recorded employment growth during the turmoil, according to Australia’s National Skills Commission.¹

As we move forward into 2021, workers and organisations want to know: What trends have we seen emerge from 2020, what jobs are on the rise, and what skills are needed to succeed in these roles?

LinkedIn’s own unique dataset offers insights into these questions, and we have compiled them into a special edition of LinkedIn’s yearly Emerging Jobs Report, titled Jobs on the Rise. The report takes a close look at the rapidly-changing world we’re living in, as a result of COVID-19. In previous years, we have looked at changes in the jobs landscape over the past 5 years, but this year, our special Jobs on the Rise report compares the roles experiencing the highest growth between April and October 2020 against the same period in the year before. We also map out the skills that are on the rise for workers, and organisations.

One common and overarching trend we have noticed amongst almost all the roles on our list is that almost all may be conducted remotely. As a result, workers who are equipped with digital skills, even at a basic level, will have an edge in finding employment opportunities within these fields. Read on to discover three of the most pertinent trends that have emerged as a result of the events in 2020.

Learn more about the key trends from Australia's Jobs on the Rise

Unsurprisingly, healthcare-related work dominates much of Australia’s Jobs on the Rise list, with frontline workers, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics, topping Australia’s Jobs on the Rise list. While COVID-19 has no doubt fuelled demand across the sector, healthcare and social assistance, perhaps better known as the care economy, is Australia’s largest and fastest growing industry, employing more than 1.5 million people.² The sector covers all stages of life, from childcare to aged care, and incorporates a range of roles, such as medical technicians, physical therapists, social workers, patient services, and psychologists.

Whether helping people in crisis or the stresses of everyday life, those working in mental health are focused on the wellbeing and safety of their patients. In 2020, mental health became a major public health focus and saw more government investment in the sector to tackle the impact of COVID-19 on Australians’ mental wellbeing. ¹⁰

Just as the care economy takes in a range of skillsets - from clinical and diagnostic, to organisational and communication skills, Australia’s Jobs on the Rise also reflects demand for skills across a range of industries. The value of transferable skills is that while some industries have been significantly impacted, others have huge demand. In fact, at LinkedIn we’ve observed many people from industries badly affected by COVID-19 were more likely to apply for jobs in a different industry. NSW government needed thousands of new Service NSW workers with excellent interpersonal skills to help customers navigate COVID-19 restrictions,³ while airport workers have found work in mining.⁴ Roles across construction, customer service, real estate and coaching don’t necessarily require direct experience or four year degrees but rather the skills to do the work - meaning opportunities are open to people with a wide variety of backgrounds. For those looking to transition to a new role or wondering how their skills could be repurposed in a different industry, the Career Explorer tool can show how existing experience can translate into new roles.

Despite the economic downturn in 2020, Australia’s property sector remained remarkably upbeat.⁹With low interest rates and Australians realising they can work remotely more easily than previously thought, people are moving away from the big cities to find more affordable housing will continue.

From being able to order groceries and supplies online, to staying socially connected despite physical distance, COVID-19 has accelerated our digital transformation. It’s also spurred on a shift to remote work, which is making opportunities more accessible than ever before. Atlassian has made remote a work permanent option, while Australia’s financial services sector expect working from home to be lasting option. At LinkedIn we’ve observed a fourfold increase in remote job opportunities since June and many of these emerging jobs can be done remotely - from online learning to digital content freelancing there is much less demand for people to be in the office. This does mean it is essential to master basic digital skills. For those looking to upskill their digital abilities a range of free short online courses exist, from software development, data analysis and project management to digital marketing and product management. Check out LinkedIn Learning to find the course to help you take the next step in your career.

While ongoing disruption and uncertainty is likely to continue in the new year, we hope this report shows there are still various opportunities for talent with a range of experience and skills. A lifelong learning mindset is crucial for professionals looking to develop themselves and adapt to the workforce of the future. Workers who are equipped with digital skills — even at a basic level — will have an edge in finding employment opportunities. From digital marketing, project management to software development and data analysis, there are a range of LinkedIn Learning courses that professionals can take up to venture into these skill sets.

For talent professionals, we hope these trends provide valuable insights in informing your workforce strategies for 2021 - whether you're recruiting for new roles, upskilling your workforce or helping your organisation pivot to meet the demands of today’s changing talent landscape.

Resources for recruiters, or organisations hiring for new talent:
1. Address current and future skill gaps using skills trends and competitive benchmarking with LinkedIn Talent Insights
2. LinkedIn’s Skills Assessment to identify talent with relevant skills
3. Connect employees to relevant, applicable skills through a learning experience that is personalised and social with LinkedIn Learning

Resources for professionals looking for employment, or to pivot in their careers:
1. LinkedIn’s Career Explorer tool, to help job seekers gain a new perspective on the skills they currently have and explore different or new career paths
2. Free learning paths released last year for in-demand jobs
3. LinkedIn Learning courses to help you secure a job (‘Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions’, ‘How to Rock an Interview’, ‘Resume Makeover’, etc.)

"Jobs on the Rise" are defined as the career categories that have seen the highest year-over-year growth rates in hiring (as reflected in the April 2020 to October 2020 timeframe).

LinkedIn Economic Graph data scientists have looked at over 15,000 job titles to uncover the jobs that have grown the most, compared to 2019 levels.

Those titles were then grouped into overarching career trends that capture as many as 25 job titles within each category. Each trend summary calls out the largest job titles within that trend. Career trends are ranked using a combination of year-over-year growth rate combined with the raw size of the job demand.