Australia Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.7% in September as Jobs Contract
Key Facts
Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.7% in September 2026, missing the 4.6% forecast. According to investinglive.com, total employment fell by 39.3K jobs, a significant deviation from the expected gain of 20K positions.
The underlying data showed a gain of 34.4K full-time jobs despite the headline decline in overall employment. This labor market cooling follows a drop in NAB Business Confidence to -13 reported on October 13, 2026, reflecting broader economic pressures in the region.
Latest Updates · 3
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Update: Additional data showed the labor force participation rate fell to 66.8% in September 2026, down from 67.0% in the previous month. This contraction in the workforce participation accompanied the broader rise in the unemployment rate during the same period.
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Update: Australia's labor force participation rate fell to 66.8% in September 2026, down from 67.0% in the previous month. This decline in workforce engagement accompanied the broader contraction in headline employment figures.
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Update: Market pricing for a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate hike in November 2026 fell to 15% as three-year government bond yields dropped by 10 basis points. This shift follows a downward revision of August employment gains to 29,300 jobs and a decline in the labor force participation rate to 66.8%.