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"It is good that today’s figures are positive because more Australian workers are getting secure jobs they can rely on, with 50,000 workers in full-time jobs since last month," Sally McManus, Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions expressed.
In January 2026, the number of employed persons in Australia stood at 14,705,800, up from 14,681,100 (+24,700) in December 2025.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, full-time employment increased by 19,800 to 10,141,400 people, and part-time employment increased by 4,900 to 4,564,400 people. In addition, part-time share of employment was 31.0%.
Employment-to-population ratio in January 2026 increased to 64%.
Broken down further by gender, the statistics revealed that in January 2206, the employment-to-population ratio was broken down as follows:
- People: 63.9%
- Males: 67.5%
- Females: 60.5%
The monthly hours worked in all jobs in January 2026 recorded an increase to 2.07mn hours.
In January 2026, the participation rate decreased to 66.7%.
Broken down further by gender, the results are as follows:
- Males: 70.6%
- Females: 62.9%
- People: 66.7%
Unemployment
The report also revealed that the unemployment rate in January 2026 decreased to 4.1%, with the number of unemployed persons decreasing by 8,100 to 636,300.
For youth unemployment, the rate remained at 9.6%.
Underemployment
In January 2026, the underemployment rate remained at 5.9%, and underutilisation rate decreased to 10.0%.
In terms of gender, the breakdown is as follows:
- People: 5.9%
- Males: 4.9%
- Females: 7.0%
States and territories
By state and territory, the January 2026 trend is as follows:
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the trend recorded is as follows:
Further details on the labour force statistics by sex, state and territory, monthly hours worked by sex, state and territory, age groups, and educational attendance can be found here.
Methodology can be found here.
Responding to the report’s findings, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) noted in a media release that January's increase in full-time jobs continues a trend of workers moving from part-time, insecure roles into full-time positions. The union linked the growth to industrial relations reforms introduced by the Albanese Government since 2022.
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Lead image / Australian Bureau of Statistics
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