According to the 15th annual global salary survey from specialist recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, permanent salaries in Australia are expected to grow by about one per cent in 2014 compared with 2013.
?Australia will no longer experience the constant influx of foreign labour it once enjoyed, and companies will be fighting it out to find top-tier domestic employees in 2014,? Robert Walters Australia and New Zealand managing director James Nicholson said. ?Salaries are expected to remain stable however, with rises in line with inflation.?
He added that while recruitment in mining activities will continue to decline, the launch of other projects will lead to increased resources, engineering and construction hiring.
The survey found the job market would be improved by the launch of new infrastructure projects in Brisbane such as the Bruce Highway upgrade and the newly announced underground bus and train project. In Perth, the focus will be on operations and maintenance as the 2018 deadlines approach for Perth?s large-scale greenfield projects, resulting in higher permanent salary levels.
In drilling engineering, employers are starting to favour permanent hires over temporary contract engagements, as it will enable them to limit high contractor rates and focus instead on pre-negotiated permanent salaries.
Construction skills will be needed to keep up the demand for new infrastructure. Operators in mining will continue to decrease their recruitment following lack of funding and investment.
A copy of the annual global survey can be found at the Robert Walters website.
Source: Robert Walters Australia and New Zealand