🦘 The End Of Working From Home? Aussie Unemployment Remains Steady, Companies Preparing To Hire More Staff

G’day everyone!

If the name ‘Outback Briefs’ sounds familiar but you can’t quite remember why, it’s probably because I seem to have chucked a week-long sickie last week!

Avid Outback Briefs readers will remember that exactly 3 weeks ago, there was a story about Aussie workers feeling the effects of burnout…

I guess that story was also talking about me!

As much as I’ve loved writing Outback Briefs for the last 7 months, the daily grind seems to have caught up to me.

So I’m going to be making an adjustment…

From next week onwards, Outback Briefs will be delivered on a weekly basis. But…

I want to make the newsletter even better. And that’s where I need your help!

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Thank you for filling that out, it’ll help me make this newsletter as valuable as I can for all of you.

Anyways, let’s get into it!

Here’s what we’ve got in store for you today:

• The End Of Working From Home?

• Aussie Unemployment Remains Steady

• Companies Preparing To Hire More Staff

Let’s have a look at the market snapshot before jumping into the news:

The End of WFH? Aussie Bosses Gear Up for Full Office Days!

Aussie workers, brace yourselves for a big change!

Big name companies like Amazon and Tabcorp are leading the charge, bringing employees back to the office full-time.

A recent KPMG survey revealed that a whopping 82% of Aussie CEOs want their white-collar workers back at their desks within three years.

Last year’s figure? Just 66%.

Only 27% of bosses foresee a mix of remote and office work, with nobody predicting full remote roles.

Don’t think your cozy home setup is safe just yet either; companies like ANZ and Suncorp are linking bonuses to those office attendance numbers.

In brighter news, 54% of CEOs are forecasting a 5% growth in staff numbers, showing that while office life is making a comeback, optimism for the future remains strong.

So, it looks like the era of flexible work might be taking a backseat!

Job Market Wobble: Aussie Unemployment Holds Steady at 4.2%

Australia's unemployment rate stayed put at 4.2% in August, with a positive twist - 47,500 more Aussies found work!

That's right, while the number of unemployed dropped by 10,500, the job market is still churning pretty solidly.

Interestingly, most new roles were part-time positions, but since December, full-time jobs have made up a whopping 77% of the total gains.

But don’t pop the champagne just yet; experts warn that the job market needs to loosen a bit more to help get inflation under control. 

And while the US Federal Reserve got a bit jumpy and cut interest rates to avoid rising unemployment, Australia appears to be hanging tight.

Despite the steady numbers, some job seekers are feeling the squeeze, with lofty employer expectations making things tough.

Overall, it’s a mixed picture of growth and challenge as Australia navigates its current economic landscape.

Aussie Businesses Buck the Trend and Get Ready to Hire!

Despite some doom and gloom, Australian businesses are feeling optimistic and gearing up to expand their teams! 

A recent study reveals that 54% of local CEOs expect to see staff levels grow by up to 5%, with a further 36% looking at a 6-10% bump. 

While 20% of CEOs noted revenue drops recently, a whopping 88% remain positive about the national economy and their industry’s future.

More than half of the executives are eyeing generative AI as their top investment priority, seeing it as a game-changer for efficiency and job creation - don’t worry, they don’t see it replacing staff anytime soon!

In a world of challenges like cyber threats and inflation, Australian CEOs are diving into strategic partnerships to foster growth.

With a focus on inclusion, sustainability, and tackling skills shortages, the business scene is shifting and heading towards a brighter, more collaborative future!

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You Made It!

If you’ve read all the way up to here, we just wanted to let you know that you’re an absolute legend!

Time to go to work and show off how clued up you are about what’s going on in the business world 💪

Keep an eye out for tomorrow's newsletter. Until then, we’d love to get your feedback below!