Strong jobs growth across the ACT's construction, education and scientific sectors in the past year have boosted confidence but failed to return all sectors to 2013 levels.
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Canberra's education industry, led by a tertiary arm aided by a lower Australian dollar, has been a rare consistent performer in a volatile two years for the city, a new breakdown of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.
Construction and the professional, scientific and technical services partially filled the void left by a depressed public sector in the last year, which fell by 11.5 per cent, or about 7000 jobs.
But despite an annual full-time job growth of 23 per cent and 21 per cent respectively, both sectors were still yet to return to their pre-federal election levels.
Canberra Business Chamber chief executive Robyn Hendry said a more positive territory-wide trend was expected despite some contrary indications.
"I attended the Master Builders Association [ACT] awards night last night and the message there is we're turning the corner," she said.
"From the education perspective, we know the dollar has had a significant impact on our industry ... and we know [international] enrolment numbers have been very strong."
The real estate industry and arts and recreation sector had the greatest percentage rise in new jobs since May last year, both starting from a relatively small base.
Overall full-time employment was 158,691 last month, up nearly 3500 jobs or 2.2 per cent from two years earlier.
Professionals Australia ACT director Dave Smith said engineers and scientists had enjoyed a positive year, helped by the construction of the Majura Parkway, but job cuts at ActewAGL and pressure on Icon Water's budget created fears for the year ahead.
"People in those fields want some certainty and we're going to start losing those employees to other states," he said.
"Probably if there's one organisation with capacity for more employment it is Defence - we've got major acquisitions which require technical expertise, and a lot of that expertise isn't in Adelaide or Melbourne, it's in Canberra."
Mr Smith said the proposed light rail and opening of the Qantas maintenance unit were a "potential shaft of light on the horizon" but Defence was the biggest factor in the sector's Canberra levels.
Hospitality and retail jobs fell sharply last year.