The jobless rate steadies overall but is rising for those under 25 years. It is particularly tough for workers in the 20-25 age group
The jobless rate dipped slightly in the March 2026 quarter from the December 2025 quarter, going from 5.4% down to 5.3%.
There were 163,000 unemployed people in the March 2026 quarter, compared with 165,000 in the December 2025 quarter, as measured by the Household Labour Force Survey. But that was up from 156,000 in the March 2025 quarter.
There are now 2,889,000 people employed in workforce of 3,052,000. That is of a total working aged population of 4,335,000. So the employment rate was 66.7%, but that was down from 67.1% in the same quarter a year ago.
Basically, under-employment rose.
Some of that is due to rising youth unemployment. This is tracked by the NEET rate, measuring the level of those 15-24 who are not in education, employment or training. This rate now stands at 15.9% or 108,600. A year ago it was at 14.4% or 97,400. (These NEET levels are before seasonal adjustment so reflect ‘actual’ people involved.) For those aged 24-29, this is the highest level since 2013.
Quarterly
change
Annual
change
Overall wages (not seasonally adjusted)
Index
Percent
Wage inflation (salary and wage rates, including overtime, LCI)
All sectors
1450
0.5
2.0
Private sector
1448
0.4
2.0
Public sector
1467
0.4
1.7
LCI analytical unadjusted
1790
0.7
3.1
Dollars
Percent
Average ordinary time hourly earnings (QES)
44.12
0.3
3.1
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Unemployment rate %
Youth unemployment rate % for people 15 to 19 yrs
Employment growth %
Participation rate %
Part timers wanting more work (000s)