News & Research Archives 2007

DECEMBER 2007

MEDIA RELEASES

13/12/07
Labour squeeze can be eased by boosting participation of mature-aged professionals

MEDIA COVERAGE

Bosses put lid on wage blowout
4 December, The Australian
Technology salary rises have largely been kept in check since June by employers wary of creating unsustainable increases in response to the skills shortage. Michael Page International director of technology Simon Lynch said that while there might be some stabilising of technology salaries, overall there had been strong demand for IT skills in the second half of the year and the financial rewards for specialist skills remained high.

Careers in the Sun
Summer 2008, Tax Practice magazine
Michael Page International has called on the Federal Government, the business community and global recruitment firms to change the way in which Australia is advertised to professionals overseas and reposition Australia as a career destination rather than a lifestyle choice. “We need to advertise Australia as a place to develop your career. Lifestyle is important, but it’s secondary when trying to attract the professional talent we need,” Mr Guest said.

Tax cuts target women
Summer 2008, Tax Practice magazine
Proposed tax cuts by the Federal Government are one good incentive to encourage women to return to work, but the onus is really on employers. Phillip Guest, managing director at Michael Page International said employers need to assist by putting practical return-to-work measures in place. “Professional women who leave to have families represent a valuable talent source and their return to work would make a positive impact on labour force participation rates,” Mr Guest said.

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NOVEMBER 2007

MEDIA RELEASES

07/11/07
Election promises need tertiary sector focus

04/11/07
Boost labour participation by removing workplace barriers

MEDIA COVERAGE

Globetrotter
24 November, Sydney Morning Herald
The accounting profession has been one of the hardest hit in the national skills shortage. Phillip Guest, the managing director of Michael Page International says a worldwide skills shortage in the profession is also putting pressure on the Australian market. “We operate in a global market for these professionals now. As a result, our people have been sought by big employers overseas and the challenge is maintaining them. We need to give them opportunities at home,” Guest says.

Inflation fears as wages growth rises
16 November, Australian Financial Review
ABS Labour price index results released this week suggest a spike in wages growth amid further signs of an increasingly tight labour market. Michael Page managing director Phillip Guest said his firm’s 2007-08 salary survey had shown skills shortages would drive up wages in some professions by 5 to 7 per cent in the next 12 months with about a third of employers expecting to pay an extra 6 to 10 per cent.

High-demand professions need more tertiary funding: Michael Page
15 November, HR Report
Michael Page International has called on whoever wins the federal election to spend more on tertiary education to meet Australia’s increasing demand for qualified professionals, needed to fuel future growth and productivity.

Uni spending needed
9 November, Australian Financial Review
Michael Page managing director Phillip Guest said Australian governments would need to lift spending on higher education to encourage young people into professions such as accounting, law and engineering, so as to sustain economic growth.

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OCTOBER 2007

MEDIA RELEASES

29/10/07
Australia as a career destination rather than lifestyle choice

24/10/07
Back-to-work policies will fail without genuine workplace flexibility

MEDIA COVERAGE

Retention deficit disorder
11 October, BRW magazine
The Michael Page Salary Survey revealed that 41 per cent of respondents had trouble retaining staff in the past 12 months. Of employees polled in the same survey, 29 per cent said they moved on from jobs for career advancement, with money a motivation for only 9 per cent.  

Best time for job hunting
2 October, The Australian
Australia is experiencing record highs in employment demand for technology professionals, with market conditions likely to be buoyant well into 2008.

Spoilt for choice
October, Charter magazine
The Michael Page Finance Salary Survey predicts strong employment growth and the likelihood of salary increases between 5 per cent and 7 per cent, going even higher for hard to find skill sets.

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SEPTEMBER 2007

MEDIA RELEASES

27/09/07
Strong economic growth and investment put pressure on professional skills market

14/09/07
Queensland mining leads to boom in sales and marketing jobs

MEDIA COVERAGE

Staff harder to come by
28 September, Australian Financial Review
The number of unemployed people available to fill job vacancies has fallen to its lowest level on record making it increasingly difficult for companies, particularly in mining, construction, business services and finance, to secure skilled staff.

Skilled job vacancies fall in year
27 September, The Age
Skilled job vacancies are significantly down from a year ago with professional vacancies driving the decline at a 13.6 per cent decrease on last year. At the same time, employment growth has been the strongest over the past five years in skilled occupations, requiring continued investment in education and strategies to address issues such as the ageing workforce.

Call to action over skills crisis
25 September, Human Capital magazine
Michael Page International calls on state and federal governments, employers, professional bodies and recruitment specialists to work towards a cohesive national labour strategy to encourage and support skilled workers.

Careers in Queensland – Mining boom in sales and marketing
15 September, The Age
The growth of business services connected with the mining boom in Queensland has created a broader appetite for sales and marketing skills, leading Michael Page International to set up a specialist sales and marketing division in Brisbane.

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AUGUST 2007

MEDIA COVERAGE

Professional skills market tightens
25 August, Human Capital Magazine
Strong economic growth continues to impact the professional skills market where wages inflation is far higher than the overall labour market. Critical skills shortages in professional occupation groups will lead to wages growth of 5% to 7% across professional occupation groups in the next 12 months.

Skills shortage crisis
24 August, Australian Financial Review
Research by Michael Page International has shown that 91 per cent of employers expect demand for skills to intensify and staff numbers to increase over the coming 12 months. Managing director Phillip Guest said the professional skills shortage had become ‘so serious’ it could now only be solved through an integrated response from employers, state and federal governments, professional bodies and recruitment specialists.

From go to whoa
18 August, Sydney Morning Herald
Five years ago, when recruitment company Michael Page International needed someone for a procurement and supply chain role, the firm would look to people who worked in finance. The sector has grown so much that the recruitment firm now has a supply chain team, which has doubled in size in the past year.

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JULY 2007

MEDIA RELEASES

18/07/07
Strong employment figures will have inflationary impact on professional skills market

MEDIA COVERAGE

Marketers’ pay packets swell
26 July, The Australian
Stronger advertising spending is fuelling pressure on marketing salaries, which are likely to grow 5 per cent to 7 per cent this year, according to the annual Michael Page salary survey. The increase is higher than the blue-collar average of about 4 per cent.

Professional pay in the fast lane
26 July, BRW magazine
Wages growth among the professions is exceeding that of the overall labour market, driven largely by skills shortages in the accounting, finance and engineering sectors, the Michael Page International Salary Survey for 2007-08 has found.

Mining in the wild West
21 July, The Age
WA is becoming home to many Victorians looking for big money jobs in mining. “Salaries can go up as much as 15 per cent a year for mining engineers,” says Adrian Oldham of Michael Page.

Aim for the top
21 July, Sydney Morning Herald
The best employers understand and support the changing needs of their employees at different stages in their careers. This involves recognising ability and investing in the career development of talented individuals, as well as supporting the transition to management through training and mentoring, and restructuring roles to retain mature workers.

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JUNE 2007

MEDIA RELEASES

15/06/07
Wages inflation impacts professional labour market

MEDIA COVERAGE

Incentives key to keeping top staff
26 June, The Australian
Efforts to retain staff need to shift from financial incentives towards career opportunities, according to the Michael Page Technology Salary Survey for 2007-08. It predicts the boom in technology recruitment will continue for at least 12 to 18 months making staff retention an important focus for the year ahead.

World of choice
16 June, Sydney Morning Herald
A buoyant global economy and a shortage of skilled workers make conditions ripe for job seekers hoping to move overseas or interstate. Such is the demand for skilled staff in some countries that employers are flying to Australia on recruiting missions.

Skills crunch has salaries soaring
16 June, The Weekend Australian
As one of the professions most affected by Australia’s current skills shortage, engineers are experiencing very healthy salary increases. On top of highly competitive salaries, mining companies in particular are looking at other incentives to attract and retain staff including flexible rosters, paid flights home to family and sign-on bonuses.

Australian professionals write own ticket
15 June, Australian Financial Review
People working in the legal and finance industries are in high demand overseas and can receive huge salaries. Australian lawyers are now accepted in 30 jurisdictions worldwide and with standardised rules from the International Financial Reporting Standards, accountants can go even further.

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