What were the key findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics December 2025 labour report?

The Australian labour market reached a historic milestone with 15 million people employed during the December quarter of 2025. Employment grew by 99,800 people, a 0.7% increase that was exactly matched by a 0.7% rise in total hours worked.

How did the Australian construction sector perform in late 2025?

Construction has officially become Australia's third-largest employing industry, now accounting for 8.2% of all filled jobs. The sector drove national employment growth with a 0.9% quarterly increase and added over 57,000 positions during the previous twelve months.

What is the current trend for multiple job-holders in Australia?

The number of Australians holding multiple jobs rose by 0.4% to 976,400 in the December 2025 quarter. While this indicates a slight quarterly increase, the total remains nearly 10,000 lower than the same period in 2024.

Which Australian industry saw the highest growth in hours worked?

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector recorded a dramatic 5.4% growth in hours worked during the December quarter. This growth was a sharp rebound from a 6.3% decline in the September quarter, largely attributed to a highly successful harvest season.

Are job vacancies increasing or decreasing in the Australian market?

Despite record employment levels, job vacancies have begun to stabilise and even slightly decreased over the December 2025 quarter. The vacancy rate remained steady at 2%, suggesting that the post-pandemic "labour crunch" may be cooling as roles are successfully filled.

How does job growth compare between the market and non-market sectors?

Both the market (private) and non-market (public/essential services) sectors recorded their third consecutive quarterly rise in late 2025. The market sector remains the primary engine of growth, accounting for 66 per cent of total new filled jobs over the past year.

What does the latest ABS data mean for the Australian economic outlook?

The data suggests a robust but maturing economy, with total filled jobs reaching 16.1 million. The perfect alignment between employment growth (0.7%) and hours worked (0.7%) indicates that the market is not yet showing signs of significant "slack" or overcapacity.

What are the key risks for investors following the December 2025 labour update?

While the headline 15 million employment figure is positive, a potential risk is the concentration of growth in the construction and agricultural sectors, which can be cyclical or weather-dependent. Additionally, the stabilisation of vacancies could precede a broader slowdown in hiring if consumer spending cools.

Economy

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Aussie employment hits 15M in December 2025 quarter

Written by Brie CarterPublished Mar 6, 2026, 1:35 AM

Australia’s labour market reached a peak in the December quarter of 2025, with the total number of employed persons climbing to 15 million.

According to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, employment rose by 99,800 people, marking a 0.7% increase that aligns perfectly with a corresponding rise in total hours worked.

Sean Crick, the ABS head of labour statistics, noted that while the market continues to expand, the composition of employment is shifting.

Multiple job-holders increased slightly by 0.4% to 976,400, though this figure remains nearly 10,000 lower than the same period in 2024.

Total filled jobs rose to 16.1 million, bolstered by growth in both main and secondary positions.

The report highlights a robust period for both market and non-market sectors, which recorded their third consecutive quarterly rises.

Over the past year, the market sector accounted for 66% of total job growth.

On an industry level, the Agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector saw a dramatic 5.4% growth in hours worked, rebounding from a previous slump due to a strong harvest season.

Driving the national rise with a 0.9% quarterly increase, construction has officially become Australia's third-largest employing industry.

It now represents 8.2% of all filled jobs nationwide, having added over 57,000 positions in the last twelve months alone.

Despite the growth, job vacancies have begun to stabilise, remaining steady at a 2% vacancy rate.