Australia records 4.5% unemployment in July

• Employment in Australia fell by 16,000 people in July while the national unemployment rate rose to 4.5%.
• Market analysts noted limited immediate impact on major equity indices following the data release.
• The agency is advancing its labour force modernisation project towards a September completion.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the national unemployment rate rose to 4.5% in July.

This change followed a total fall of 16,000 jobs across the Australian economy during the month.

"In July, we recorded a 16,000 person fall in employment, whilst the number of unemployed people rose by 4,000," said Australian Bureau of Statistics head of labour statistics Sean Crick.

Total hours worked across the nation decreased by 12 million hours during the same period.

The agency targets September 2026 modernisation completion, and following the announcement, the Australian Bureau of Statistics share price was unchanged at $0.00.

The national participation rate fell 0.2 percentage points to reach 66.9% in July.

The trend underemployment rate rose marginally to 6.4% over the course of the month.