AI has low impact on job vacancies in August

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is responding to public and policy interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the Australian labour market by adding new questions to the quarterly Job Vacancies Survey.

The questions aim to capture the potential relationship between AI and job vacancies, both now and in the next 12 months.

Sean Crick, ABS head of labour statistics, said data released today by the ABS showed that AI has had a limited impact on job vacancies to date.

“About 82 per cent of businesses reported that AI did not impact the level of job vacancies in August 2026,” Mr Crick said.

“Four per cent of businesses reported that AI had reduced the number of job vacancies in August, while less than one per cent reported that AI had led to an increase in vacancies in their business.” 

The impact of AI on job vacancies differed across industries. “Information media and telecommunications had the highest proportion of businesses reporting a decrease in vacancies due to AI at 16 per cent,” Mr Crick said.

“This was followed by Wholesale trade, at eight per cent, and Manufacturing, at six per cent."

The industries with the highest proportions of businesses reporting an increase in vacancies due to AI were Electricity, gas, water and waste services (10 per cent), Public administration and safety (four per cent) and Health care and social assistance (two per cent).

Businesses were also asked about the expected impact of AI on the number of job vacancies in their business over the next 12 months. 

“About two thirds of businesses said that they did not expect AI to impact their job vacancies over the next 12 months,” Mr Crick said.

“About eight per cent of businesses expected that AI will lead to a decrease in job vacancies and one per cent expected it would lead to an increase.”

The ABS would like to thank businesses in Australia for their continued support in responding to our surveys.