The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) launched the most recent labour drive knowledge as we speak (APRIL 16, 2026) – Labour Pressure, Australia – for March 2026 – which confirmed that the labour market steadied after final month’s contraction. Whereas employment development remained constructive and was dominated by full-time work good points (as part-time employment fell), the truth that the participation fee fell helped hold the unemployment fee steady. There are actually 10.1 per cent of obtainable labour not getting used (both unemployed or underemployment), which makes a farce of the RBA’s claims that the labour market is tight. There may be substantial scope for extra job creation given the slack that’s current. Nevertheless, if the worldwide scenario doesn’t enhance rapidly then that slack will enhance sharply.
The abstract seasonally-adjusted statistics for March 2026 are:
- Employment rose 17,900 (0.1 per cent).
- Full-time employment rose 52,500 (0.5 per cent).
- Half-time employment fell 34,600 (-0.7 per cent).
- Unemployment fell 3,700 to 656,300.
- The unemployment fee was steady on 4.3 per cent.
- The participation fee fell 0.1 factors to 66.8 per cent.
- The Employment-population ratio was regular on 64 per cent (0.04 fall at second decimal place).
- Month-to-month hours labored rose 9.2 million (0.46 per cent).
- Underemployment was regular on 5.9 per cent (rising 11 thousand to 915 thousand).
- The Broad Labour Underutilisation fee (the sum of unemployment and underemployment) rose 0.04 factors to 10.2 per cent.
- Total, there are 1,571.3 thousand individuals both unemployed or underemployed.
The ABS press launch – Unemployment fee stays at 4.3% in March – famous that:
The seasonally adjusted unemployment fee remained at 4.3 per cent in March …
… while the participation fee fell by 0.1 share factors to 66.8 per cent….
Development in employment was pushed by full-time staff, which rose by 53,000 individuals in March. This was partly offset by a fall in part-time employment of 35,000 individuals …
This month individuals labored 9.2 million extra hours, with full-time hours rising by 7.1 million and part-time hours rising by 2.1 million hours …
Abstract
1. Pretty regular with the expansion in full-time work being a shiny level whereas the drop in participation was an offset.
2. Complete labour underutilisation (sum of unemployment and underemployment) rose to 10.2 per cent, which signifies the extent of the wastage.
Employment development maintains tempo with shrinking provide as participation falls
- Employment rose 17,900 (0.1 per cent).
- Full-time employment rose 52,500 (0.5 per cent).
- Half-time employment fell 34,600 (-0.7 per cent).
The next graph reveals the expansion in whole, full-time, and part-time employment for the final 24 months.
The next desk reveals the shifts over the past 6 months which helps to see the underlying development.
The Employment-to-Inhabitants ratio gives a measure of the state of the labour market that’s impartial of the availability shifts within the labour market (pushed by the shifts within the participation fee).
The underlying working age inhabitants grows steadily whereas the labour drive shifts with each underlying inhabitants development and the participation swings.
The next graph reveals the Employment-Inhabitants ratio was steady on 64 per cent.
The subsequent graphs present the common month-to-month change in whole employment (first graph) and full- and part-time employment (second graph).
For whole employment the month-to-month common modifications had been:
- 2022 – 44.8 thousand
- 2023 – 30.8 thousand
- 2024 – 32.2 thousand
- 2025 – 12.7 thousand
- 2026 to this point – 31 thousand
Month-to-month hours labored rose 9.2 million (0.46 per cent) in March 2026
Stronger on the again of development in full-time employment.
The next graph reveals the expansion in month-to-month hours labored for the final 24 months, with the straight line being a easy linear regression to point development.
Unemployment fell 3,700 to 656,300 in March 2026
The unemployment fee was steady on 4.3 per cent.
Basically, labour demand simply saved tempo with the availability aspect which shrank somewhat as participation fell by 0.1 level.
The next graph reveals the evolution of the official unemployment fee since 1980.
Broad labour underutilisation – rose 0.1 factors in March 2026
Given the drop in full-time employment and hours labored and the substantial enhance in part-time work, it’s exhausting to know how underemployment truly fell marginally.
I believe that consequence shall be revised subsequent month.
- Underemployment was regular on 5.9 per cent (rising 11 thousand to 915 thousand).
- The Broad Labour Underutilisation fee (the sum of unemployment and underemployment) rose 0.04 factors to 10.2 per cent.
- Total, there are 1,571.3 thousand individuals both unemployed or underemployed.
The next graph reveals the evolution of underemployment and the Broad labour underutilisation fee since 1980.
Teenage labour market – shrinking employment alternatives
This month, youngsters full-time work fell regardless of the general labour market displaying stronger full-time employment development.
Half-time employment additionally contracted.
- Full-time employment fell 0.7 thousand (-0.4 per cent).
- Half-time employment fell 5.7 thousand (-0.8 per cent).
- Complete teenage (15-19) employment fell 6.4 thousand (-0.7 per cent).
The next desk summarises the shifts within the teenage labour marketplace for the month and over the past 12 months.
To place these modifications right into a scale perspective (that’s, relative to measurement of the teenage labour drive) the next knowledge studies the shifts within the Employment-Inhabitants ratio for youngsters.
The Teenage Employment-Inhabitants ratios and their month-to-month modifications in March 2026 had been:
- Males: 47.4 per cent – down 1.8 factors.
- Females: 54.0 per cent – up 0.8 factors.
- Complete: 50.6 per cent – down 0.5 factors.
Conclusion
My commonplace warning to take care in decoding month-to-month labour drive modifications – they will fluctuate for a lot of causes and it’s imprudent to leap to conclusions on the again of a single month’s knowledge.
- The labour market was largely steady this month.
- Whereas employment development remained constructive and was dominated by full-time work good points (as part-time employment fell), the truth that the participation fee fell helped hold the unemployment fee steady.
- There are actually 10.1 per cent of obtainable labour not getting used (both unemployed or underemployment), which makes a farce of the RBA’s claims that the labour market is tight.
- There may be substantial scope for extra job creation given the slack that’s current. Nevertheless, if the worldwide scenario doesn’t enhance rapidly then that slack will enhance sharply.
That’s sufficient for as we speak!
(c) Copyright 2026 William Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
