Vacancies point to modest jobs growth

New figures suggest we shouldn't get too carried away by the unexpectedly strong latest labour force report.

That showed the number of people employed rising by a huge 37,700 and the jobless rate falling to 6.1 per cent.

However, the Department of Employment's latest vacancy report shows that while demand for labour is improving, job advertisements on the internet are still nearly 50 per cent below their March 2008 peak.

That indicates conditions are likely to remain relatively subdued in the near term, the department said on Wednesday.

In March, vacancies grew 1.9 per cent to be nine per cent higher over the year.

Seven of the eight occupational groups monitored by the department rose in the month, while the eighth - clerical and administrative workers - showed no change from the previous month.

Among the states, NSW has seen the strongest demand for workers over the past year, rising 15.7 per cent, while Western Australia has been the weakest with a fall of 6.5 per cent.

However, the largest extremes were between the two territories, with the ACT up 25.2 per cent in the past year and the Northern Territory down 18.6 per cent.