Desperate jobseekers told to skill up or perish

Australian jobseekers are finding it tougher as competition for work rises, a private online survey says.

The SEEK Employment index, which measures the ratio of online job advertisements to applications, slid for the 12th consecutive month in November, falling 2.9 index points to 59.7 points.

The index was down 45.6 per cent from a year ago.

SEEK employment managing director Joe Powell said jobseekers needed to develop skills and/or experience to be competitive in the tight labour market.

"During the Christmas break, it may be worth thinking about your options and the potential to develop yourself through further education or on-the-job-training," Mr Powell said.

"Alternatively, if you're looking for a career change, you could start thinking strategically about transferring your skills to those areas in most demand."