After years of declining permanent staff numbers, the advertising industry in Melbourne is back in hiring mode, according to Aquent’s Asia Pacific salary Monitor 2004-05. “Fifty-seven percent of Melbourne employers are planning to hire permanent staff and we can expect this demand to soak up the supply of quality talent,” said Greg Savage, Aquent Asia Pacific CEO. “Strong hiring intentions are also predicted in the creative industry, where 78% of employers plan to hire permanent staff. Most growth will come from the print creative environment, but we are seeing some increase in hiring professionals with web expertise.

“Growing corporate profits across Australia , flowing on to increased advertising and marketing budgets, are driving this positive state of mind and no doubt, we are seeing the knock-on effect in salaries and hiring intentions,” said Savage. “The use of temporary and contract staff is a well-worn strategy in Australia and the advertising and creative industries are keen users of these services. In Melbourne , creative staff are called in on an assignment basis by over 80% of employers in a variety of situations and in advertising agencies, 93% use free-lancers. And no decline is in sight. In fact 31% of companies in Melbourne plan to increase the use of freelance and contract staff in the next 12 months.”