SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australian job ads fell in December following two months of sharp gains. Some positions had been filled and some employers may have felt some relief from the increase in coronavirus infections.

Tuesday’s numbers from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd revealed that total job ads dropped 5.5% in December compared to November when they rose an upwardly revised 99%.

The ads were up by 32.7% compared to a year ago at 212.098. They also rose 4.2% over June 2021, when the Delta version first came out.

Catherine Birch, senior economist at ANZ, noted that a 366 100 increase in employment during November indicated some exceptional positions had been filled. This was partially responsible for the decline in ads.

She said that it was possible for businesses to be less willing to hire workers due to Omicron’s spread and subsequent uncertainty about worker availability and consumer behavior.

In December, new coronavirus cases started to appear. They are currently breaking records every day.

Birch also stated that survey results suggested that more people are considering switching jobs for the year.

She said that with so many workers in competition, there should be more job seekers and those who feel secure working in the workplace. In 2022 we will see them asking for higher wages and moving on to better work.

In the hopes of driving unemployment to 4%, or lower, and lifting wages after many years of stagnant gains in Australia’s economy, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), is maintaining interest rates at an all-time low.