Australia’s job market showed signs of improving as job vacancies were up by 3.2 percent in 2010 compared to the previous year reports job agency IPA Recruitment.

The job agency evaluates the health of the employment market based on job advertisements received by the company from clients.

The vacancies indicate that the economy is still growing with most employees being hired in the food, transport and logistics industry. Moreover, capital expenditure figures from the September quarter report that investments made in resources climbed by 15.5 percent from the quarter.

IPA recruitment CEO Tricia Phillips forecasts that the employment market will still be volatile in the coming year. "In 2010 we hit some peaks in confidence but as fast as we became confident, we became cautious again," she said.

She is expecting that mining and other related industries will be the major sources of job growth. "Australia is a resources-rich country and this will continue to be our strength this year," she told the AAP."The continuing appetite for resources will again drive employment growth in this market.”

"Equally, business associated with the mining and resources market will also continue to enjoy an upturn," she added. IPA Recruitment is also predicting that there will be more permanent employees hired in January.

"Employers have been pre-planning in December, allowing newly-hired workers to hit the ground running in the New Year," she added.