This note provides commentary and analysis on the monthly labour force survey data, which estimates Australian employment, unemployment, underemployment, labour participation and hours worked.
- 21 May 2026 Labour Force April 2026
Seasonally adjusted employment declined by 18.6k in April, against the market expectations of a moderate 15.0k gain. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by 0.2ppts to 4.5% in April, which is the highest since November 2021. The survey was carried out during the Easter period using an altered methodology, which could have impacted the results to some extent.
- 16 Apr 2026 Labour Force March 2026
Australian employment growth slowed to 17.9k in March (exp. 20.0k), following a 49.7k increase in February (revised from 48.9k). Annual employment growth was steady at 1.8%. Growth in March was driven by full-time jobs, while part-time employment fell.
- 19 Mar 2026 Labour Force February 2026
Employment surged by 48.9k in February, more than twice what was pencilled in by the market consensus (+20.0k).
- 19 Feb 2026 Labour Force January 2026
Employment rose a seasonally adjusted 17.8k in January, broadly in line with market expectations for a 20.0k gain. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate unexpectedly remained at 4.1% in January. The Western Australian unemployment rate, at 3.4%, is the lowest nationwide
- 22 Jan 2026 Labour Force December 2025
Seasonally adjusted employment bounced by 65.2k in December, exceeding market expectations of a 27.0k gain. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate saw an unexpected 0.2ppts decline to a seven-month low of 4.1%.
- 11 Dec 2025 Labour Force November 2025
Seasonally adjusted employment fell 21.3k in November (mkt exp +20k) following a 41.1k increase in October (revised from 42.2k). The decline was driven by full-time employment, following a solid increase in October.