Job advertisements on the internet fell by three per cent in December compared to a month earlier, national data shows.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations internet vacancy index was 84.1 points, 8.7 per cent, lower in seasonally-adjusted terms than in December 2010.
Internet-based vacancies fell in all eight occupational groups monitored by the department in November, the data released on Wednesday shows.
The largest falls were recorded for machinery operators and drivers, declining 4.7 per cent, followed by a 4.5 per cent drop in labourers.
Victoria posted the biggest fall in advertisements, down 4.8 per cent, followed by Queensland with a 3.7 per cent decline.
The territories reported the largest gains with the Northern Territory up 7.0 per cent and the ACT rising 1.2 per cent.
Tasmania showed the biggest fall in internet ads over the year, tumbling by 22.9 per cent, while at the other extreme, Western Australia posted a 4.1 per cent increase.
