Unemployment Rate in Australia remained unchanged at 4.10 percent in February. This dataset provides - Australia Unemployment Rate at 5.8% in December - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Employment Rate in Australia decreased to 64.10 percent in February from 64.40 percent in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In June 2023, the unemployment rate in Australia was 3.5 percent, lower than the pre-COVID-19 unemployment rate of around five percent. During 2020, the unemployment rate in Australia spiked to 7.6 percent amidst the country's second coronavirus wave.

Unemployment and underemployment rates around the country

In the middle of 2023, unemployment around the country hovered between 2.9 and 4.2 percent, with South Australia leading with the highest rate of people eligible to work jobs not currently employed. New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, reported the lowest rate of unemployment at the time. Underemployment, however, was highest in Tasmania, with the country reporting a national underemployment rate of over six percent in June 2023. Some of the leading difficulties people in Australia reported as barriers to finding a job or more hours included too many other applicants for available jobs, and a lack of necessary training, qualifications, or experience.

Leading industries for employment in Australia

Australia’s employment landscape is made up of a wide range of jobs; however, it is dominated by the services sector, which covers a range of industries, including healthcare, education, tourism, and professional services. Healthcare and social assistance remain the country’s leading employment industry, accounting for approximately 15 percent of employed persons. Employment industries varied between males and females , with the construction industry the most popular employment industry for males in 2022, while close to one-quarter of employed females worked in the healthcare and social assistance field.

The unemployment rate in Australia was forecast to increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.4 percentage points. This overall increase does not happen continuously, notably not in 2029. The rate is estimated to amount to 4.52 percent in 2029. This indicator describes the unemployment rate which can be defined by either the national definition, the ILO harmonized definition, or the OECD harmonized definition. The latter defines it as the number of unemployed people divided by the total labour force.Find more statistics on other topics about Australia with key insights such as ratio of the national debt to the gross domestic product, the budget balance in relation to the gross domestic product, and the national debt.

In June 2023, South Australia had the highest unemployment rate among all states and territories in Australia with approximately 4.2 percent of those eligible to work jobs not in employment. The Australian Capital Territory had the second highest unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.

Unemployment Figures 

Australian unemployment figures had remained relatively stable, hovering between four to six percent for some time before recently dropping to 3.5 percent in June 2023. Unemployment levels and the economy have regularly been a priority of the Australian government and unemployment remains a key political platform for the major parties during elections. However, long-term unemployment remains a concern, with the rate almost doubling between 2009 and 2019.

Unemployment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 

The employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders in Australia remain a key indicator for the ongoing inequality experienced by this population group. The figures remain high, especially among Aboriginal youths aged 15 to 24 years old, with almost one-fifth who are out of regular employment as of 2015. This meant that more than 25 thousand Aboriginal youths were out of work and struggling to find employment in that year.

Australia Unemployment Rate: Females data was reported at 4.493 % in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.622 % for Dec 2024. Australia Unemployment Rate: Females data is updated monthly, averaging 6.452 % from Feb 1978 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 564 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.779 % in Feb 1983 and a record low of 3.250 % in Nov 2022. Australia Unemployment Rate: Females data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G040: Unemployment Rate. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Youth Unemployment Rate in Australia remained unchanged at 9.10 percent in February. This dataset provides - Australia Youth Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Australia Unemployment Rate: Males data was reported at 4.560 % in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.945 % for Dec 2024. Australia Unemployment Rate: Males data is updated monthly, averaging 5.877 % from Feb 1978 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 564 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.696 % in Feb 1993 and a record low of 3.144 % in Oct 2022. Australia Unemployment Rate: Males data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G040: Unemployment Rate. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Unemployment Rate Total: From 55 to 64 Years for Australia (LRUN55TTAUM156S) from Feb 1978 to Jan 2025 about 55 to 64 years, Australia, unemployment, and rate.

In 2019, about 24 percent of unemployed Australians were unemployed for at least 12 months. This was an increase from the previous year. The highest unemployment rate in the country was seen in 2000.

This map shows the percentage of unemployed people in Australia. Data is available for Country, Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), Local Government Area (LGA), Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) and 2 (SA2), and State Suburb (SSC) boundaries.Data is from the General Community Profile from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census. The General Community Profile is new for the 2016 Census. It replaces the 2011 Basic and Expanded Community Profiles and has been created by merging components of both these profiles. It contains a series of tables showing the characteristics of persons, families and dwellings in a selected geographic area. The data is based on place of usual residence (that is, where people usually live, rather than where they were counted on Census night). Community Profiles are excellent tools for researching, planning and analysing geographic areas for a number of social, economic and demographic characteristics.To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right. Download the data here.Data notes:View the Readme files located in the DataPacks and GeoPackages zip files.To access the 2016 DataPacks samples, view the Community Profile, DataPack and TableBuilder Templates publication (cat no. 2079.0)Glossary terms and definitions of classifications can be found in the 2016 Census DictionaryMore information about Census data products is available in the QuickStats, Community Profiles and DataPacks user guide, Australia (Cat no. 2916.0)DataPacks and Geopackages for Western Australia State Electoral Divisions (WA SEDs) may not be correct and should not be used as per Corrections to 2016 Data. Data for these boundaries can be obtained using QuickStats or Census TableBuilder using a geographic recode and following these instructions on working with custom groups. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Unemployment Rate Total: 15 Years or over for Australia (LRUNTTTTAUQ156S) from Q3 1966 to Q4 2024 about 15 years +, Australia, unemployment, and rate.

Australia Unemployment Rate: Victoria data was reported at 5.197 % in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.399 % for Dec 2024. Australia Unemployment Rate: Victoria data is updated monthly, averaging 5.941 % from Feb 1978 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 564 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.171 % in Feb 1994 and a record low of 3.101 % in Jul 2022. Australia Unemployment Rate: Victoria data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G040: Unemployment Rate. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

The number of unemployed persons in Australia decreased to 612.60 Thousand in February of 2025 from 623.77 Thousand in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Unemployed Persons - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Employment Rate Total: From 25 to 54 Years for Australia (LREM25TTAUM156S) from Feb 1978 to Jan 2025 about 25 to 54 years, employment-population ratio, Australia, employment, population, and rate.

Australia Unemployment Rate: Looking for Full Time Work data was reported at 4.499 % in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.757 % for Dec 2024. Australia Unemployment Rate: Looking for Full Time Work data is updated monthly, averaging 6.194 % from Feb 1978 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 564 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.068 % in Feb 1993 and a record low of 3.070 % in Nov 2022. Australia Unemployment Rate: Looking for Full Time Work data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G040: Unemployment Rate. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

In 2022, around 8.2 percent of the youth population aged 15 to 24 years in Australia were unemployed. This marked a noticeable decrease from the previous year's unemployment rate in the country. The highest youth unemployment rate during the measured period was recorded in 2020, at 14.3 percent.

Unemployment Rate: South Australia data was reported at 4.713 % in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.090 % for Dec 2024. Unemployment Rate: South Australia data is updated monthly, averaging 7.134 % from Feb 1978 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 564 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.527 % in Jan 1993 and a record low of 3.429 % in Sep 2023. Unemployment Rate: South Australia data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G040: Unemployment Rate. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Employment Rate Female: From 15 to 64 Years for Australia (LREM64FEAUM156N) from Feb 1978 to Jan 2025 about employment-population ratio, 15 to 64 years, Australia, females, employment, population, and rate.

The youth unemployment rate in Australia increased by 0.3 percentage points (+3.65 percent) in 2023. In total, the youth unemployment rate amounted to 8.57 percent in 2023. This increase was preceded by a declining youth unemployment rate.The youth unemployment rate of a country or region refers to the share of the total workforce aged 15 to 24 that is currently without work, but actively searching for employment. It does not include economically inactive persons such as full-time students or the long-term unemployed.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Fiji and Tonga.