The Media Federation of Australia (MFA) has described media agencies as “thriving”, as staff numbers jump while employee churn and turnover drop.

Staff turnover in media agencies has fallen by four percentage points year-on-year to 30%, according to the MFA’s Census and Salary Survey.

Churn has also decreased from its 2008 level of 41.2% to 30.4%, according to the report which is based on the 12 months to 30 September last year.

In addition to these drops staff numbers have recorded a marked increase of 12.6% year-on-year while the level of those leaving the industry permanently sits at 4.9%.

Dan Johns, MFA board director and Ikon chief executive, said the improvements have been driven by a focus on culture strategies.

“The growth in staff numbers has been driven by media agencies hiring more people in the important areas of digital, analytics and people and culture,” Johns said.

“This is a great sign that our industry is in growth mode and we are less reliant than ever on advertising billings.”

The UK market is also experiencing growth in media agencies where staff numbers have risen by 8.7%, according to the IPA UK Census report.