The Australian labour market has demonstrated renewed vigour, with fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealing a 2.7% growth in job vacancies during the three months leading into February.
The quarterly uptick brings the total number of available positions to 337,900—the highest level recorded since late 2024.
According to Sean Crick, ABS head of labour statistics, the momentum was largely underpinned by a recovery in the construction sector, which saw a 19.3% rise in openings, alongside growth in customer-facing roles within retail trade and accommodation and food services.
The growth was broad-based, with vacancies rising in 12 of the 18 tracked industries.
While the wholesale trade sector also enjoyed a 14.2% increase, the media and arts sectors struggled; information media and telecommunications reported a 9.5% decline.
The Northern Territory led the nation with a 23% jump in opportunities, followed by Tasmania. South Australia was the sole jurisdiction to experience a contraction, with vacancies dipping by 2.3%.
On a sectorial basis, the private sector drove the quarterly gains with a 3.2% rise, contrasting with a slight 0.7% softening in the public sector.
Despite this short-term dip, the public sector maintains a higher annual growth rate of 4.7%.
Overall, the figures represent a 3.7% annual increase, signalling a resilient demand for labour across the majority of the Australian economy.