Your comments are very timely ian...
As a travel agent I can't comment on my much bigger competitor USIT. I do know that the big sellers of Australia tickets are still giving the false impression that there'll be great opportunities in OZ on whatever sort of visa one gets. This is immorally misleading.
It is very difficult to get any type of job now in OZ - other than the most horrible, lowest-paid, bad-location type of jobs. ( Now of course someone will write about the great jobs that their friends just got last week on Bondi Beach !).
We tell our clients unless you have friends/relatives out there who can help you before you arrive then make sure you have sufficient funds to last several weeks. We have recently found that it is usually those who have freinds already in Oz who get jobs. But it's getting harder. (anyone with recognised qualification and provable experience in carpentry,plumbing, electricty etc stand much better chances. Also as prostitution is legal in some states that may interest some readers; I believe no certification or job references are required)
The only consolation to the tighter job market is that it's now MUCH cheaper to fly to Oz than ever before.
P.S. - Oz authorities are cracking down much harder now on any sort of job illegality.