Australia Job Vacancies, August 2026 — 325,000, Down 0.9% on the Quarter and 1.3% on the Year
ABS (1 Oct. 2026): job vacancies were 325,000 in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted), down 0.9% from May and 1.3% from a year earlier. Private -2.0%, public +7.8%.
Key figures (August 2026, released 1 October 2026)
As of 6 October 2026 (KST); ABS Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026, released 1 October 2026 at 11:30am AEST. Primary source: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/aug-2026[1]
| Indicator (Australia, seasonally adjusted, number of vacancies) | Previous (May 2026) | Current (August 2026) | Change vs previous (quarter) | Change vs year ago (Aug 2025) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total job vacancies | 328,000 (revised; first published as 329,500) | 325,000 | down 0.9% (-3,000) | down 1.3% from August 2025 (329,500) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series) |
| Private sector vacancies | 292,100 | 286,300 | down 2.0% (-5,800) | down 1.5% from August 2025 (290,800) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series) |
| Public sector vacancies | 35,900 | 38,700 | up 7.8% (+2,800) | unchanged (0.0%) from August 2025 (38,700) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series) |
| Total job vacancies, trend | 329,400 | 326,300 | down 0.9% | down 1.2% from August 2025 (330,400) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series) |
| Total job vacancies, original (not seasonally adjusted) | 324,000 (same as first published) | 321,500 | down 0.8% | down 1.4% from August 2025 (325,900) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series) |
Comparison basis: the ABS compares each quarter with the previous quarter (May 2026) and with the same quarter a year earlier (August 2025). Previous-quarter and year-ago levels are as shown in the ABS time series spreadsheets published with the August release. Levels are rounded (shown in thousands to one decimal place); the ABS calculates percentage changes from unrounded estimates, so they can differ slightly from changes worked out from the rounded levels. The seasonally adjusted May total was revised from 329,500 to 328,000; the original May total (324,000) is unchanged from first publication.[1][3][4][5]
In three lines 1. Australia had 325,000 job vacancies in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted), down 0.9% (3,000) from May and 1.3% from a year earlier. 2. Private sector vacancies fell 2.0% to 286,300 while public sector vacancies rose 7.8% to 38,700. 3. Vacancies are 31.2% below the May 2022 peak; Retail trade rose 24.5% in the quarter and Wholesale trade fell 18.0%.[1][4]
Comparison terms
Job vacancy: a job available for immediate filling on the survey reference date and for which recruitment action has been taken. Jobs only open to internal applicants, contractor work and jobs where someone has been appointed but not started are excluded.[3]
Reference date: the third Friday of the middle month of the quarter (February, May, August, November). Vacancies are a count on that day, not over the quarter.[3]
Seasonally adjusted, trend, original: seasonally adjusted removes normal seasonal variation; trend smooths the seasonally adjusted series; original is unadjusted. National and sector figures come in all three; industry and state figures are original only.[3]
Quarterly change = change from the previous quarter; yearly change = change from the same quarter a year earlier. The survey covers public and private employers except agriculture, forestry and fishing, private households and foreign embassies; about 4,000 units are sampled each quarter.[3]
By sector and series (August 2026, thousands)
| Series | Private sector | Public sector | Total | Quarterly change, total (%) | Yearly change, total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally adjusted | 286.3 | 38.7 | 325.0 | -0.9 | -1.3 |
| Trend | 288.8 | 37.4 | 326.3 | -0.9 | -1.2 |
| Original | 283.2 | 38.3 | 321.5 | -0.8 | -1.4 |
Sector changes, seasonally adjusted: private -2.0% on the quarter and -1.5% on the year; public +7.8% and 0.0%. Trend: private -1.0% and -0.9%; public -0.5% and -3.5%.[1]
By industry (original series)
| Industry (original, thousands) | Aug 2025 | May 2026 | Aug 2026 | Change vs May (thousands, this page's calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 55.3 | 56.7 | 54.3 | -2.4 |
| Accommodation and food services | 37.7 | 34.0 | 33.7 | -0.3 |
| Retail trade | 28.7 | 26.0 | 32.4 | +6.4 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 34.3 | 35.7 | 29.5 | -6.2 |
| Administrative and support services | 27.4 | 26.6 | 26.1 | -0.5 |
| Manufacturing | 21.5 | 21.7 | 22.2 | +0.5 |
| Public administration and safety | 21.3 | 21.2 | 21.9 | +0.7 |
| Construction | 19.5 | 19.9 | 20.0 | +0.1 |
| Wholesale trade | 11.7 | 15.9 | 13.0 | -2.9 |
| Other services | 9.4 | 11.3 | 11.9 | +0.6 |
| Mining | 8.6 | 10.3 | 11.0 | +0.7 |
| Financial and insurance services | 10.5 | 8.9 | 10.2 | +1.3 |
| Education and training | 12.9 | 11.0 | 10.1 | -0.9 |
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 10.5 | 9.2 | 9.5 | +0.3 |
| Rental, hiring and real estate services | 5.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| Arts and recreation services | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | +0.4 |
| Electricity, gas, water and waste services | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.9 | +0.2 |
| Information media and telecommunications | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | -0.6 |
ABS-reported quarterly percentage changes (from unrounded data): Retail trade +24.5% and Financial and insurance services +14.1% were the largest rises; Wholesale trade -18.0% and Professional, scientific and technical services -17.3% the largest falls.[4]
By state and territory (original series)
| State or territory (original) | May 2026 (thousands) | Aug 2026 (thousands) | Change vs May (%) | Change vs Aug 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 96.1 | 96.5 | 0.4 | -1.7 |
| Vic | 76.4 | 77.5 | 1.4 | 3.6 |
| Qld | 69.5 | 69.5 | -0.1 | -2.7 |
| SA | 18.8 | 19.9 | 5.8 | -9.6 |
| WA | 43.1 | 40.9 | -5.1 | 0.9 |
| Tas | 5.8 | 5.4 | -7.9 | -2.7 |
| NT | 6.3 | 5.8 | -8.0 | 0.2 |
| ACT | 7.8 | 6.1 | -21.9 | -21.4 |
| Australia (original) | 324.0 | 321.5 | -0.8 | -1.4 |
Vacancies fell in five of the eight states and territories in the quarter. The ACT had the largest fall (-21.9%), followed by the Northern Territory (-8.0%); South Australia (+5.8%) and Victoria (+1.4%) had the largest rises.[4]
Reading in pairs
Job vacancies vs job advertisements. The ABS count (325,000) also includes jobs recruited only through other approaches such as word of mouth or social media, counts every position in a single notice, and is measured on one day. Job ad series such as the ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads Index, the SEEK Employment Report and Jobs and Skills Australia's Internet Vacancy Index count ads over a period, so the two can move differently.[1]
Seasonally adjusted vs trend. Both fell 0.9% in the quarter (325,000 and 326,300). The ABS says quarter-to-quarter seasonally adjusted movements "may not be reliable indicators of trend behaviour".[1][3]
Private vs public sector. The private sector (286,300) fell by 5,800 while the public sector (38,700) rose by 2,800, giving the net fall of 3,000.[1][4]
First published vs revised. The May 2026 release put May vacancies at 329,500 (down 2.1%); this release shows May at 328,000 and the May-quarter fall at 2.2%.[1][2]
How the ABS reads it (interpretation, quoted)
Sean Crick, ABS head of labour statistics: "The decline in job vacancies was driven by the private sector, notably in business goods and services. This was offset somewhat by rises in customer facing roles including in Retail trade."[4]
On series choice, the ABS says it "considers that trend estimates provide a more reliable guide to the underlying direction of the data".[3]
Next release
Job Vacancies, Australia, November 2026: 13 January 2027; February 2027 data on 1 April 2027.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
ABS: total job vacancies in Australia were 325,000 in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted), down 0.9% (3,000) from May 2026 and down 1.3% over the year.[1][4] 1 source · authoritative record
Private sector vacancies were 286,300, down 2.0% (5,800) from May 2026; public sector vacancies were 38,700, up 7.8% (2,800). Over the year private vacancies fell 1.5% and public vacancies were unchanged (0.0%).[1][4] 1 source · authoritative record
Trend estimates: 326,300 total vacancies in August 2026, down 0.9% on the quarter and 1.2% on the year. Original estimates: 321,500, down 0.8% and 1.4%.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The May 2026 total, first published at 329,500 (down 2.1%), is shown as 328,000 in the August release, and the May-quarter fall as 2.2%.[1][2] 1 source · authoritative record
Job vacancies are 31.2% below the series peak of May 2022 (472,700, seasonally adjusted).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The ABS time series published with the August release show May 2026 seasonally adjusted vacancies of 292,100 (private) and 35,900 (public), 328,000 in total; trend 329,400; original 324,000. August 2025 seasonally adjusted levels were 329,500 (total), 290,800 (private) and 38,700 (public).[5] 1 source · authoritative record
In the quarter, Retail trade (+24.5%) and Financial and insurance services (+14.1%) had the largest rises, and Wholesale trade (-18.0%) and Professional, scientific and technical services (-17.3%) the largest falls; vacancies fell in five of eight states and territories, most in the ACT (-21.9%).[4] 1 source · authoritative record
A job vacancy is a job available for immediate filling on the survey reference date (the third Friday of the middle month of the quarter) for which recruitment action has been taken; industry and state data are published on an original basis only.[3] 1 source · authoritative record
The next release, for November 2026, is scheduled for 13 January 2027.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
The ABS attributes the decline to the private sector, notably business goods and services, offset somewhat by rises in customer-facing roles including Retail trade.[4] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · ABS media release, 1 October 2026 (the ABS's reading)
The ABS considers trend estimates a more reliable guide to the underlying direction than seasonally adjusted or original estimates.[3] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · ABS methodology (the ABS's judgement on series choice)
The revision lowered the May 2026 total by 1,500 vacancies (329,500 to 328,000).[1][2] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the ABS releases
In August 2026 the industries with the most vacancies were Health care and social assistance (54,300), Accommodation and food services (33,700) and Retail trade (32,400).[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's ordering of the ABS industry table (original)
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- November 2026 job vacancies
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/06/2026, 17:30
- Body characters
- 7,215
- Sources
- 5 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/06/2026, 17:46
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (4)
| 10/07/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/06/2026 | First version. Read in full the ABS Job Vacancies releases for August and May 2026, the August 2026 methodology and the ABS media release; quotations, table rows and figures machine-matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 10/06/2026 | Pre-publication review findings checked against the sources; confirmed ones applied: May 2026 sector, trend and original levels and August 2025 comparison levels now come from the ABS time series spreadsheets published with the August release (replacing this page's derivation), and year-ago changes name August 2025 as the base. | Updated |
| 10/06/2026 | Independent pre-publication review (ChatGPT) against the sources; findings confirmed by the source text were applied. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How many job vacancies are there in Australia?
325,000 in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted), down 0.9% or 3,000 from May 2026.[1]
Are job vacancies in Australia falling?
Yes: down 0.9% in the three months to August 2026 after a 2.2% fall in the previous three months, and down 1.3% over the year. They are 31.2% below the May 2022 peak.[1][4]
Which industries have the most job vacancies?
Health care and social assistance, with 54,300 in August 2026 (original), followed by Accommodation and food services (33,700) and Retail trade (32,400).[1]
Which industries saw the biggest changes?
Retail trade rose 24.5% in the quarter and Financial and insurance services 14.1%; Wholesale trade fell 18.0% and Professional, scientific and technical services 17.3%.[4]
Did private or public sector vacancies fall?
Private sector vacancies fell 2.0% to 286,300, while public sector vacancies rose 7.8% to 38,700.[1][4]
Which states had falls in job vacancies?
5 of the 8 states and territories had falls; the ACT fell most (-21.9%), then the Northern Territory (-8.0%). South Australia (+5.8%) and Victoria (+1.4%) rose most.[4]
How is the ABS job vacancies count different from job ads?
The 325,000 figure is measured on one survey day and also covers jobs recruited only through word of mouth or social media. Job ad series count advertisements over a period, and one ad can cover several positions.[1]
When is the next job vacancies release?
13 January 2027, for November 2026.[1]
Official links
Sources
- [1] Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026 (released 1 October 2026) primary
- [2] Job Vacancies, Australia, May 2026 (released 25 June 2026) primary
- [3] Job Vacancies, Australia methodology, August 2026 primary
- [4] Job vacancies fall again in August 2026 (media release, 1 October 2026) primary
- [5] Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026 — time series spreadsheets, Tables 1–3 (total, private and public sector) primary