Average weekly earnings by STATE (full-time adults)
Average weekly earnings by industry (full-time adults)
WORKFORCE SHARE – INDUSTRY
Number of Employed Persons and Workforce Share (%) by Industry
Source: Labour Market Insights, Jobs and Skills Australia.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Labour Force, Australia
Source: ABS; Next Release 21/05/2026
| Feb 2026 | Mar 2026 | |
| Employed persons | 14,749,800 | 14,767,700 |
| Unemployed persons | 660,000 | 656,300 |
| Participation rate | 66.9% | 66.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% |
Projected employment growth by major occupation (5 and 10 years)
Australia’s total employment will grow by around 950,000 people (6.6%) over the next five years, and by close to 2 million people (13.7%) within ten years, reaching 16.3 million employed people by May 2034.
The ongoing shift in the workforce towards service-based industries will continue, with Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, and Education & Training together driving over half (50.4%) of the total employment increase over the next decade.
More than 90% of employment growth over the next ten years will be in roles that typically require post-secondary education. Around 51.0% of this increase will be in occupations aligned with a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 42.6% will be in jobs primarily accessed through a vocational education and training (VET) pathway.
Media Mentions
