Australia’s labour market continues to trend toward care, service and high-skill roles, with new data showing strong employment growth across key industries and occupations over the past year.
Health Care and Social Assistance led the gains, increasing by 95,000, followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (up 80,800) and Education and Training (up 52,800). These sectors also continue to employ a high proportion of women, who make up 76% of the Health Care and Social Assistance workforce and 70% of Education and Training.
The latest figures highlight a broader shift toward service-oriented work. Employment rose across five occupation groups, with the strongest increases seen among Professionals and Community and Personal Service Workers. Work patterns vary across these roles, with most Professionals employed full-time (75%), while Community and Personal Service Workers are more likely to work part-time (55%).
Demand for higher-level skills is also on the rise. Employment growth was strongest in Skill Level 1 occupations, typically requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, which grew by 4.3% or 216,500. Skill Level 4 roles, generally requiring a Certificate II or III, also saw modest growth (up 1.2% or 41,300).
Our next release of trended labour force data is expected to be in November 2026. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is currently modernising the Labour Force Survey, the source data that we trend and release, that underpins our data and are phasing in changes to their data collection from April. During this transition, some data, including industry and occupation data, will be temporarily unavailable.
We will resume updates once the ABS data publication recommences and once we have undertaken a thorough assessment to ensure the continuing quality and consistency of our data later in the year. We will also be able to incorporate the new Occupations Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), which better reflects today’s labour market, including emerging roles, improved representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander occupations and more inclusive occupation titles.
For all queries and assistance, email: OccupationandIndustryAnalysis@jobsandskills.gov.au
