Internet job ads rise 0.2 pct in May JOB advertisements on the internet rose by 0.2 per cent in May, federal government figures show. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations internet vacancy index rose to a seasonally adjusted 62.1 points in the month. However, the index was still 22.8 per cent lower than a year earlier. Five of the eight occupational groups monitored by the department rose in May. The strongest monthly increase was recorded for labourers (up by 6.6 per cent) and machinery operators and drivers (up 2.5 per cent). Job ads in four states and the Northern Territory rose in May, led by a 4.7 per cent increase in South Australia. The ACT posted the biggest drop, tumbling 9.6 per cent, while Tasmania (down 5.9 per cent) and Western Australia (down 4.3 per cent) also experienced falls. Over the year, jobs ads declined in all states and territories, led by a 39.1 per cent slump in WA.