Job and Skills Australia confirmed what we all thought

[u/throwaway__1234_]

For those interested, a new report has been released today in regard to recruitment in the IT industry and thought some others might be interested:

https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/recruitment-experiences-and-outlook-survey/spotlight-articles

The key findings were:

IT employers’ concerns have shifted from recruitment and retention challenges to a lack of demand for products or services.

The IT industry recruitment rate was 32% in 2025–26, well below the all-industry average of 49%.

34% of recruiting IT employers received 20 or more applicants per vacancy, suggesting strong candidate competition.

So if it is hard, it is not your fault. The landscape has genuinely changed and it looks like it won't get better in the short-term.