Australia's unemployment rate was 4.7% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 0.1 percentage points from August, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Labour Force release of 15 October 2026. There were 732,000 unemployed people, and SEEK reports applications per job ad at a new peak. The ABS publishes the October figures on 19 November 2026.
Updated 27 October 2026.
What is the current unemployment rate in Australia?
These are the ABS headline figures for September 2026, seasonally adjusted, the latest release as at 27 October 2026. The ABS revises recent months each time, so August here is the revised figure from the September release.
| Measure | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Unemployed people | 723,100 | 732,000 |
| Employed people | 14,822,000 | 14,782,700 |
| Participation rate | 67.0% | 66.8% |
| Underemployment rate | 6.2% | 6.3% |
| Employment to population ratio | 63.9% | 63.6% |
The ABS works out changes from unrounded figures, which is why the rate reads 4.7% in both months and the ABS reports a rise of 0.1 points.
In trend terms, which the ABS recommends as the best measure of the underlying labour market, unemployment was 4.6%. The youth unemployment rate rose 0.3 points to 11.1%. Unemployment was 4.8% for males and 4.6% for females.
How does the ABS measure unemployment?
The figures come from the monthly Labour Force Survey. The September survey asked about the two weeks from 30 August to 12 September 2026 and was collected between 6 and 26 September.
- Employed: people aged 15 and over who worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in the reference week.
- Unemployed: people aged 15 and over who were not employed in the reference week, had actively looked for work in the four weeks up to the end of that week and were available to work. People waiting to start a new job within four weeks also count.
- Participation rate: the labour force, meaning everyone employed or unemployed, as a share of the civilian population aged 15 and over.
- Underemployed: employed people who want, and are available for, more hours than they have.
The one hour rule means someone with a single short shift in the reference week counts as employed.
Why did employment fall in September when full-time jobs rose?
Employment fell by 39,300 people in September, or 0.3%. Full-time employment rose by 34,400 to 10,232,400 people, and part-time employment fell by 73,700 to 4,550,200. Monthly hours worked in all jobs still rose by 1.3 million hours to 2,011 million.
The participation rate fell 0.2 points to 66.8%, so fewer people were in the labour force. The number of unemployed people rose by 8,900. The ABS says the trend data gives the best measure of the underlying labour market, because it removes notable month-to-month variability.
How competitive is the job market for applicants?
SEEK's Employment Report for September 2026 shows job ads rising slightly while applications climb:
- Job ads rose 0.6% from August, and the annual rate of decline slowed to 3.5%.
- Applications per job ad rose 1.7% in the month to a new peak, continuing a run of monthly growth since January 2026. SEEK records applications with a one-month lag, so these figures describe August.
- Every state and territory except the Northern Territory recorded a monthly rise in job ads. Western Australia (up 5.4%) and South Australia (up 1.5%) were the only two with growth on a year earlier as well.
- Retail and Consumer Products (up 3.4%) and Hospitality and Tourism (up 2.4%) led the month. Nine of the ten largest hiring industries grew, and Trades and Services was flat.
- Mining, Resources and Energy (up 14.6%), Engineering (12.1%) and Construction (9.5%) led annual growth.
SEEK's chief economist, Dr Blair Chapman, said, "From a candidate perspective, competition for roles remains intense as applications per ad rose in September to a new peak."
For pay, a longer line of applicants means an employer does not need to fight as hard to fill a role, which makes a quick pay rise from switching jobs harder to get.
Which jobs is AI changing?
SEEK tracks AI in job ads. In September 2026, ads mentioning AI-related skills were 70.2% higher than a year earlier, and AI skills were referenced in 2.4% of all job ads (3.1% in New South Wales). Mentions of agentic AI rose 199.2% on a year earlier.
Ad volumes fell for roles at every level of exposure to automation. Roles with low automation exposure scores, typically manual or technical work that is difficult to automate such as trade workers, fell 2.4% on a year earlier. Roles with medium scores fell 5.7% and roles with high scores fell 12.5%.
What does this mean for graduates and career changers?
Youth unemployment at 11.1% and applications per ad at a peak both make the entry level more competitive. For students, an internship is one of the ways into a graduate role. Our guide to what an internship is and how to get one covers paid and unpaid internships, when applications open and how to apply.
If you are weighing a move into a new field, Is it too late to change careers at 30, 40 or 50? covers how pay grows with experience, which industries pay more and how to work out what a change would cost you.
Is the job market in Australia bad right now?
It is tight for people applying. Unemployment is 4.7% and SEEK's applications per job ad reached a new peak in September 2026. Employment is 14,782,700 people and full-time jobs rose in the month, so the pressure shows up in the queue for each role.
What is the unemployment rate in Australia right now?
4.7% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, from the ABS release of 15 October 2026. The next figure, for October, comes out on 19 November 2026.
Which industries are hiring in Australia?
On SEEK's September 2026 report, Mining, Resources and Energy (up 14.6%), Engineering (up 12.1%) and Construction (up 9.5%) had the strongest growth in job ads on a year earlier. In the month, Retail and Consumer Products (up 3.4%) and Hospitality and Tourism (up 2.4%) led.
Is it hard to get a job in Australia right now?
Harder than a year ago. Applications per SEEK job ad are at a new peak after monthly rises since January 2026, job ads are 3.5% below a year earlier and youth unemployment is 11.1%. SEEK's chief economist describes competition for roles as intense.
From Flat White: 10 things nobody tells you about your pay
Sources
Every page below was read on 20 October 2026 and again on 27 October 2026, when each was still the latest release.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, Australia, September 2026, released 15 October 2026 (the headline table with August revised, trend figures, youth, males and females, full-time and part-time, hours, survey dates, next release 19 November 2026)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, Australia methodology, September 2026 (glossary: employed, unemployed, participation rate, underemployed)
- SEEK, SEEK Employment Report, September 2026 (job ads, applications per ad, states, industries, AI skills, automation scores, Dr Blair Chapman's words)
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