Labour market pressures have eased as lesser people are going abroad for work and disposable incomes have increased, the Reserve Bank of Fiji noted in its July Economic Review released last week.
However, it said conditions remained tight with job vacancies falling by 1.1 per cent to 7762 in the first half of the year.
“Lower recruitment intentions (were) noted in the community, social and personal services (down four per cent), electricity and water (down 2.4 per cent); wholesale and retail trade (down 1.3 per cent) and finance and real estate (down one per cent) sectors.
“This downward trend may suggest that businesses are adjusting hiring strategies amid higher input costs,” it stated.
Job openings in agriculture, forestry and fishery; construction; and transport, storage and communication sectors remained high, according to RBF.
Higher wages, indicated by a 28.6 per cent increase in Pay As You Earn collections in the year to June, may have contributed to dampening the exodus of Fiji’s skilled workers as RBF noted it indicated retention efforts by businesses.
Fewer Fijians went abroad (for a year or more) for employment, education, emigration and other purposes, the number contracting by 32.9 per cent to 6954 on an annual basis cumulative to June, RBF stated.
Resident departure has been steadily declining over the last few months, according to its data.
