February Forecast
Anton Roe ??
I solve problems by creating Talent Solutions | Podcast host @Tales from Tech Titans | Collaborating with companies to attract, hire and retain the best talent across Technology | Diversity, Equality & Inclusion champion
WOW! Where did January go??! Blink and you missed it!
I don’t know about you, but 2025 is already feeling way more positive than the last 18 months. We’re seeing a lot more hiring opportunities and people testing the job market. Let’s hope this is a positive sign for the year ahead.
What’s happening in the market?
I usually share the latest data from SEEK , however their data is only available for December, which honestly doesn’t tell us much about 2025 & the year ahead.
Across Australia, they are reporting a 12.2% decline in Job Ads in 2024 compared to 2023. This only confirms what we already knew — the job market was quiet last year. I should also note that the cost of placing a job advert on Seek has more than tripled in the last three years, so maybe the drop in ad volume is also an economic factor driven by cost.
In terms of salaries, Seek is reporting a 3.6% annual increase in advertised salaries from December 2023 to December 2024. This is much in keeping with the current reported inflation.
Regarding inflation, it was exciting to hear the news of the Consumer Price Index finishing the year at 2.5% - compared to a December 2022 peak of 8.4%. This has heightened expectations of an RBA interest rate cut later this month. Assuming we see a 0.25% cut, you’d expect both the housing and labour market to respond positively.
LinkedIn shared their list of most in-demand jobs (based on job posts) for 2024 Q4. It was encouraging to see Software Developers retaking the number one spot
Most In-Demand Jobs (Q4 2024)
Roles with the greatest number of paid LinkedIn job posts, Q4 (October 1 – December 31, 2024)?
Software engineer (+1 change in rank vs. previous quarter)
Salesperson (-1)
Nurse (+78)
Project manager (+1)
Account manager (+14)
Customer service representati
The full article here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/most-in-demand-jobs
Indeed shared their take on the market recently. They highlighted how 2.8% of job ads in December included reference to AI, and 0.22% of ads mention GenAI – this seemed surprisingly low to me.
Most of these roles were in Data Analytics or Software Development.
Indeed also reported 13.7% of Australian job ads mentioned remote or hybrid working – again this struck me as lower than I thought.
Indeed’s full Talent Trends webinar can be re-watched here:
What else is going on?
Sadly, DEI has been in the headlines – for the wrong reasons.
It’s disappointing to see Trump cutting & banning DE&I programs – and blaming Diversity hiring for the recent Washington plane crash.
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Further to this, we hear daily about Big Tech scaling back its commitment to DEI, following a broader corporate trend influenced by political, legal, and social pressures. Meta has dissolved its DEI team, removed representation goals, and is shifting its focus to “fair and consistent” practices. Amazon is winding down various DEI programs, changing its public language on diversity, and rebranding its initiatives. Apple, meanwhile, is defending its DEI efforts against shareholder challenges. These moves reflect a shift in how companies navigate DEI in an increasingly polarized environment—raising questions about the future of diversity work in tech.
Linkedin Polls
Every Thursday, I share a poll with my network on Linkedin to get their views and opinions on key topics.
If you were starting or switching careers today, where would you focus?
There is not much surprise here—cyber and AI/ML are the hottest topics in tech right now. Given that many people will transfer from another domain into these areas, I wonder where we will see gaps in the future.
Will 2025 be the year employers order people back to the office?
The vote was almost split here, with “No” coming out on top – although I wonder if this is more personal preference, as opposed to what people think will happen?
How would you rate your work motivation so far in 2025?
January is always a slog, especially in Australia when the sun is shining, and the kids are off school. It was great to see half of the people hitting the ground running, and only a few people struggling to get going again. I’ll recheck in on this in a few months!
What am I reading??
For the last 8 weeks, I’ve been largely homebound as I recover from hip surgery, so reading has been my go to! I’ve managed to crunch through 9 books so far in 2025!
My favourite so far is The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. This book is 10 years old but still relevant. ?It is a no-nonsense, brutally honest guide to the messy reality of running a business. Packed with war stories, tough lessons and, surprisingly, rap inspired quotes, it is a must read for any entrepreneur or leader. Horowitz does not sugarcoat anything — because let’s face it, leadership is messy. If you want wisdom with a side of grit, this book is your battle manual.
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