Monthly Employee Earnings Indicator, March 2026

As a measure of aggregate earnings and employee jobs, estimates presented in this release include compositional changes in the labour market, which are described in more detail in Factors affecting interpretation.

National

The total wages and salaries paid by employers reached a series high in March 2026.

Since December 2025, wages and salaries growth has followed typical seasonal patterns, decreasing in January then increasing in February through March.

The January fall generally reflects reduced business activity over the holiday period, while the February and March rises are driven by the resumption of activity and cyclical bonus payments.

Month key statistics
		Jan-26	Feb-26	Mar-26
Wages and salaries paid by employers
	Month change (%)	-3.3	5.8	1.4
	Annual change (%)	5.5	5.6	6.0
	Total wages and salaries ($m)	103,116	109,070	110,560
Employee jobs
	Month change (%)	-1.5	1.5	1.2
	Annual change (%)	1.3	1.2	1.0
	Total employee jobs ('000)	15,058	15,286	15,470

Wages and salaries estimates are presented as an original series with calendar-adjustment, to account for the differing number of days in each month, as seasonally adjusted estimates are not yet available.

Estimates of change throughout this release are calculated using un-rounded values. They may differ from, though are more accurate than change calculated from rounded values.

Total wages and salaries paid by employers (a)
	2022-23 ($m)	2023-24 ($m)	2024-25 ($m)	2025-26 ($m)
Jul	85,659	91,828	97,849	102,938
Aug	87,131	93,654	99,263	104,318
Sep	90,390	97,156	103,103	108,151
Oct	87,465	94,262	99,665	105,303
Nov	89,639	96,844	101,851	107,385
Dec	89,500	96,041	101,438	106,679
Jan	86,133	92,342	97,755	103,116
Feb	91,349	96,698	103,264	109,070
Mar	92,388	98,949	104,313	110,560
Apr	91,096	97,494	102,795
May	90,844	96,690	101,888
Jun	92,436	98,009	103,192

Total wages and salaries paid by employers (a)

["","2022-23","2023-24","2024-25","2025-26"]

[["Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun"],[[85659],[87131],[90390],[87465],[89639],[89500],[86133],[91349],[92388],[91096],[90844],[92436]],[[91828],[93654],[97156],[94262],[96844],[96041],[92342],[96698],[98949],[97494],[96690],[98009]],[[97849],[99263],[103103],[99665],[101851],[101438],[97755],[103264],[104313],[102795],[101888],[103192]],[[102938],[104318],[108151],[105303],[107385],[106679],[103116],[109070],[110560],[null],[null],[null]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"$million","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"($m)","table_units":"($m)","axis_min":"80000","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"0","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers (a)
	2022-23 (%)	2023-24 (%)	2024-25 (%)	2025-26 (%)
Jul	na	-0.7	-0.2	-0.2
Aug	1.7	2.0	1.4	1.3
Sep	3.7	3.7	3.9	3.7
Oct	-3.2	-3.0	-3.3	-2.6
Nov	2.5	2.7	2.2	2.0
Dec	-0.2	-0.8	-0.4	-0.7
Jan	-3.8	-3.9	-3.6	-3.3
Feb	6.1	4.7	5.6	5.8
Mar	1.1	2.3	1.0	1.4
Apr	-1.4	-1.5	-1.5
May	-0.3	-0.8	-0.9
Jun	1.8	1.4	1.3

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers (a)

[" ","2022-23","2023-24","2024-25","2025-26"]

[["Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun"],[[null],[1.7],[3.7],[-3.2],[2.5],[-0.2],[-3.8],[6.1],[1.1],[-1.4],[-0.3],[1.8]],[[-0.7],[2],[3.7],[-3],[2.7],[-0.8],[-3.9],[4.7],[2.3],[-1.5],[-0.8],[1.4]],[[-0.2],[1.4],[3.9],[-3.3],[2.2],[-0.4],[-3.6],[5.6],[1],[-1.5],[-0.9],[1.3]],[[-0.2],[1.3],[3.7],[-2.6],[2],[-0.7],[-3.3],[5.8],[1.4],[null],[null],[null]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"-5","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

Quarter change

Quarter key statistics
	Mar Qtr 25	Jun Qtr 25	Sep Qtr 25	Dec Qtr 25	Mar Qtr 26
Quarter change (%)	0.8	0.8	2.4	1.3	1.1
Annual quarter change (%)	6.0	5.4	5.1	5.4	5.7
Total wages and salaries ($m)	305,332	307,875	315,407	319,367	322,745

Quarter change in total wages and salaries paid by employers
	2022-23 (%)	2023-24 (%)	2024-25 (%)	2025-26 (%)
Sep Qtr	na	3.0	2.7	2.4
Dec Qtr	1.3	1.6	0.9	1.3
Mar Qtr	1.2	0.3	0.8	1.1
Jun Qtr	1.7	1.5	0.8

Total employee jobs
	2023-24 ('000)	2024-25 ('000)	2025-26 ('000)
Jul	14,826	15,004	15,212
Aug	14,787	15,059	15,219
Sep	14,924	15,232	15,320
Oct	15,119	15,216	15,388
Nov	15,118	15,356	15,509
Dec	14,951	15,228	15,288
Jan	14,688	14,870	15,058
Feb	14,910	15,108	15,286
Mar	14,937	15,323	15,470
Apr	14,970	15,228
May	15,004	15,312
Jun	15,077	15,354

Total employee jobs

["","2023-24","2024-25","2025-26"]

[["Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun"],[[14826],[14787],[14924],[15119],[15118],[14951],[14688],[14910],[14937],[14970],[15004],[15077]],[[15004],[15059],[15232],[15216],[15356],[15228],[14870],[15108],[15323],[15228],[15312],[15354]],[[15212],[15219],[15320],[15388],[15509],[15288],[15058],[15286],[15470],[null],[null],[null]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"'000","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"('000)","table_units":"('000)","axis_min":"14600","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"0","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Month change in employee jobs
	2023-24 (%)	2024-25 (%)	2025-26 (%)
Jul	na	-0.5	-0.9
Aug	-0.3	0.4	0.0
Sep	0.9	1.1	0.7
Oct	1.3	-0.1	0.4
Nov	0.0	0.9	0.8
Dec	-1.1	-0.8	-1.4
Jan	-1.8	-2.3	-1.5
Feb	1.5	1.6	1.5
Mar	0.2	1.4	1.2
Apr	0.2	-0.6
May	0.2	0.6
Jun	0.5	0.3

Month change in employee jobs

["","2023-24","2024-25","2025-26"]

[["Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun"],[[null],[-0.3],[0.9],[1.3],[0],[-1.1],[-1.8],[1.5],[0.2],[0.2],[0.2],[0.5]],[[-0.5],[0.4],[1.1],[-0.1],[0.9],[-0.8],[-2.3],[1.6],[1.4],[-0.6],[0.6],[0.3]],[[-0.9],[0],[0.7],[0.4],[0.8],[-1.4],[-1.5],[1.5],[1.2],[null],[null],[null]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"-3","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

State and territory

In March 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers increased in all states and territories from February 2026.

Western Australia saw the largest increase of $443m and +3.3%, driven by cyclical bonuses paid within the Mining industry.

Total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory
	Jan-26 ($m)	Feb-26 ($m)	Mar-26 ($m)
New South Wales	33,653	35,784	36,189
Victoria	25,311	26,837	27,106
Queensland	19,954	21,025	21,197
South Australia	6,129	6,377	6,499
Western Australia	12,541	13,362	13,805
Tasmania	1,765	1,833	1,859
Northern Territory	1,055	1,101	1,130
Australian Capital Territory	2,706	2,752	2,776
Australia	103,116	109,070	110,560

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory (a)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
New South Wales	1.9	0.8	1.1
Victoria	2.0	0.6	1.0
Queensland	2.2	0.4	0.8
South Australia	2.6	1.2	1.9
Western Australia	3.9	3.0	3.3
Tasmania	3.3	1.7	1.4
Northern Territory	3.7	2.3	2.7
Australian Capital Territory	2.9	1.1	0.9

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory (a)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["New South Wales             ","Victoria                    ","Queensland                  ","South Australia             ","Western Australia           ","Tasmania                    ","Northern Territory          ","Australian Capital Territory"],[[1.9],[2],[2.2],[2.6],[3.9],[3.3],[3.7],[2.9]],[[0.8],[0.6],[0.4],[1.2],[3],[1.7],[2.3],[1.1]],[[1.1],[1],[0.8],[1.9],[3.3],[1.4],[2.7],[0.9]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In March 2026, employee jobs increased in all states and territories from February 2026.

New South Wales saw the largest increase of 50,700 employee jobs or +1.1%.

Employee jobs, by state and territory
	Jan-26 ('000)	Feb-26 ('000)	Mar-26 ('000)
New South Wales	4,764	4,826	4,876
Victoria	3,858	3,932	3,979
Queensland	3,004	3,044	3,090
South Australia	972	984	997
Western Australia	1,689	1,714	1,736
Tasmania	295	299	299
Northern Territory	144	147	149
Australian Capital Territory	334	341	344
Australia	15,058	15,286	15,470

Month change in employee jobs, by state and territory (a)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
New South Wales	0.0	1.2	1.1
Victoria	0.3	1.5	1.2
Queensland	0.3	1.3	1.5
South Australia	0.0	1.2	1.3
Western Australia	0.2	1.5	1.3
Tasmania	0.1	1.0	0.2
Northern Territory	0.6	1.8	1.4
Australian Capital Territory	0.8	4.4	0.8

Month change in employee jobs, by state and territory (a)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["New South Wales             ","Victoria                    ","Queensland                  ","South Australia             ","Western Australia           ","Tasmania                    ","Northern Territory          ","Australian Capital Territory"],[[0],[0.3],[0.3],[0],[0.2],[0.1],[0.6],[0.8]],[[1.2],[1.5],[1.3],[1.2],[1.5],[1],[1.8],[4.4]],[[1.1],[1.2],[1.5],[1.3],[1.3],[0.2],[1.4],[0.8]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Temporary roles created ahead of the May 2025 federal election contributed to higher month change in the Australian Capital Territory in March 2025.

Month change, February

In February 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers increased in all states and territories from January 2026.

New South Wales saw the largest increase of $2,130m or +6.3%, driven by cyclical bonuses paid within the Financial and insurance services and Professional, scientific and technical services industries.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory (a)
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
New South Wales	5.4	6.2	6.3
Victoria	4.7	5.9	6.0
Queensland	4.1	5.0	5.4
South Australia	3.8	5.0	4.0
Western Australia	4.9	6.0	6.5
Tasmania	2.4	2.9	3.8
Northern Territory	1.6	2.9	4.3
Australian Capital Territory	3.7	3.9	1.7

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory (a)

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["New South Wales             ","Victoria                    ","Queensland                  ","South Australia             ","Western Australia           ","Tasmania                    ","Northern Territory          ","Australian Capital Territory"],[[5.4],[4.7],[4.1],[3.8],[4.9],[2.4],[1.6],[3.7]],[[6.2],[5.9],[5],[5],[6],[2.9],[2.9],[3.9]],[[6.3],[6],[5.4],[4],[6.5],[3.8],[4.3],[1.7]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In February 2026, employee jobs increased in all states and territories from January 2026.

Victoria saw the largest increase of 74,300 employee jobs or +1.9%.

Month change in employee jobs, by state and territory
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
New South Wales	1.3	1.5	1.3
Victoria	1.8	1.9	1.9
Queensland	1.3	1.3	1.3
South Australia	1.5	1.6	1.3
Western Australia	1.8	1.8	1.5
Tasmania	1.0	0.6	1.3
Northern Territory	1.8	1.3	2.0
Australian Capital Territory	2.1	2.1	2.1

Month change in employee jobs, by state and territory

["","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["New South Wales","Victoria","Queensland","South Australia","Western Australia","Tasmania","Northern Territory","Australian Capital Territory"],[[1.3],[1.8],[1.3],[1.5],[1.8],[1],[1.8],[2.1]],[[1.5],[1.9],[1.3],[1.6],[1.8],[0.6],[1.3],[2.1]],[[1.3],[1.9],[1.3],[1.3],[1.5],[1.3],[2],[2.1]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Month change, January

In January 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers decreased in all states and territories from December 2025.

Victoria saw the largest decrease of $1,166m and -4.4%, due to reduced activity within the Education and training industry during the holiday period.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
New South Wales	-4.2	-4.0	-3.2
Victoria	-4.5	-4.6	-4.4
Queensland	-3.6	-3.1	-3.4
South Australia	-3.2	-2.7	-3.2
Western Australia	-3.0	-2.5	-2.3
Tasmania	-1.3	-3.1	-2.3
Northern Territory	-1.9	-0.8	-1.4
Australian Capital Territory	-1.7	-1.7	-1.1

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by state and territory

[" ","Jan-24","Jan-25","Jan-26"]

[["New South Wales             ","Victoria                    ","Queensland                  ","South Australia             ","Western Australia           ","Tasmania                    ","Northern Territory          ","Australian Capital Territory"],[[-4.2],[-4.5],[-3.6],[-3.2],[-3],[-1.3],[-1.9],[-1.7]],[[-4],[-4.6],[-3.1],[-2.7],[-2.5],[-3.1],[-0.8],[-1.7]],[[-3.2],[-4.4],[-3.4],[-3.2],[-2.3],[-2.3],[-1.4],[-1.1]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

In January 2026, employee jobs decreased in all states and territories from December 2025.

New South Wales saw the largest decrease of 89,200 employee jobs or -1.8%.

Month change in employee jobs, by state and territory
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
New South Wales	-2.0	-2.8	-1.8
Victoria	-2.0	-2.7	-2.0
Queensland	-1.5	-1.6	-0.9
South Australia	-1.6	-1.8	-1.2
Western Australia	-1.4	-2.1	-1.0
Tasmania	-0.8	-1.7	-0.5
Northern Territory	-2.2	-1.4	-0.7
Australian Capital Territory	-1.8	-2.0	-1.6

Month change in employee jobs, by state and territory

["","Jan-24","Jan-25","Jan-26"]

[["New South Wales","Victoria","Queensland","South Australia","Western Australia","Tasmania","Northern Territory","Australian Capital Territory"],[[-2],[-2],[-1.5],[-1.6],[-1.4],[-0.8],[-2.2],[-1.8]],[[-2.8],[-2.7],[-1.6],[-1.8],[-2.1],[-1.7],[-1.4],[-2]],[[-1.8],[-2],[-0.9],[-1.2],[-1],[-0.5],[-0.7],[-1.6]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industry

In March 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers increased in 15 of 19 industries from February 2026.

Mining saw the largest increase of $339m and +8.4%, driven by cyclical bonuses.

Total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry
	Jan-26 ($m)	Feb-26 ($m)	Mar-26 ($m)
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1,115	1,160	1,169
Mining	3,548	4,042	4,381
Manufacturing	6,260	6,755	6,947
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	1,697	1,790	1,866
Construction	8,715	9,561	9,508
Wholesale trade	4,688	5,063	5,344
Retail trade	6,010	6,079	6,093
Accommodation and food services	3,751	3,753	3,795
Transport, postal and warehousing	4,284	4,477	4,463
Information media and telecommunications	2,031	2,240	2,214
Financial and insurance services	5,865	6,514	6,603
Rental, hiring and real estate services	2,132	2,241	2,316
Professional, scientific and technical services	11,039	12,004	11,890
Administrative and support services	5,712	6,248	6,284
Public administration and safety	8,542	8,610	8,645
Education and training	7,615	8,200	8,400
Health care and social assistance	16,018	16,090	16,375
Arts and recreation services	1,162	1,198	1,203
Other services	2,933	3,045	3,064
All industries	103,116	109,070	110,560

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry (a) (b)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
Mining	10.4	7.4	8.4
Wholesale trade	4.7	4.7	5.6
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	6.3	4.7	4.2
Rental, hiring and real estate services	0.3	-0.3	3.3
Manufacturing	3.5	3.0	2.8
Education and training	2.6	2.6	2.4
Health care and social assistance	3.6	1.5	1.8
Financial and insurance services	5.4	3.6	1.4
Accommodation and food services	3.0	0.0	1.1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	1.0	0.3	0.7
Other services	0.5	-0.3	0.6
Administrative and support services	-0.7	-0.5	0.6
Arts and recreation services	1.7	-1.0	0.5
Public administration and safety	1.8	0.6	0.4
Retail trade	2.3	0.2	0.2
Transport, postal and warehousing	1.5	-0.7	-0.3
Construction	-0.8	-1.2	-0.6
Professional, scientific and technical services	0.2	-1.8	-0.9
Information media and telecommunications	-1.1	-2.0	-1.2

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry (a) (b)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["Mining                                         ","Wholesale trade                                ","Electricity, gas, water and waste services     ","Rental, hiring and real estate services        ","Manufacturing                                  ","Education and training                         ","Health care and social assistance              ","Financial and insurance services               ","Accommodation and food services                ","Agriculture, forestry and fishing              ","Other services                                 ","Administrative and support services            ","Arts and recreation services                   ","Public administration and safety               ","Retail trade                                   ","Transport, postal and warehousing              ","Construction                                   ","Professional, scientific and technical services","Information media and telecommunications       "],[[10.4],[4.7],[6.3],[0.3],[3.5],[2.6],[3.6],[5.4],[3],[1],[0.5],[-0.7],[1.7],[1.8],[2.3],[1.5],[-0.8],[0.2],[-1.1]],[[7.4],[4.7],[4.7],[-0.3],[3],[2.6],[1.5],[3.6],[0],[0.3],[-0.3],[-0.5],[-1],[0.6],[0.2],[-0.7],[-1.2],[-1.8],[-2]],[[8.4],[5.6],[4.2],[3.3],[2.8],[2.4],[1.8],[1.4],[1.1],[0.7],[0.6],[0.6],[0.5],[0.4],[0.2],[-0.3],[-0.6],[-0.9],[-1.2]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industries are ranked by descending month change in March 2026.
The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In March 2026, employee jobs increased in all industries from February 2026.

Education and training saw the largest increase of 39,600 employee jobs and +3.1%.

Employee jobs, by industry
	Jan-26 ('000)	Feb-26 ('000)	Mar-26 ('000)
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	224	225	227
Mining	243	244	248
Manufacturing	850	858	863
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	154	155	156
Construction	1,085	1,106	1,118
Wholesale trade	597	600	603
Retail trade	1,471	1,444	1,449
Accommodation and food services	1,249	1,268	1,293
Transport, postal and warehousing	534	534	538
Information media and telecommunications	204	206	210
Financial and insurance services	550	553	558
Rental, hiring and real estate services	289	293	296
Professional, scientific and technical services	1,220	1,237	1,246
Administrative and support services	985	1,023	1,047
Public administration and safety	982	988	995
Education and training	1,194	1,263	1,303
Health care and social assistance	2,426	2,471	2,490
Arts and recreation services	280	289	295
Other services	522	529	535
All industries	15,058	15,286	15,470

Month change in employee jobs, by industry (a) (b)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
Education and training	3.2	3.7	3.1
Administrative and support services	0.2	3.3	2.4
Information media and telecommunications	0.0	0.7	2.1
Accommodation and food services	-0.8	1.8	2.0
Arts and recreation services	0.7	1.3	1.9
Mining	0.3	0.3	1.5
Other services	0.4	1.1	1.1
Construction	0.1	1.0	1.1
Rental, hiring and real estate services	0.2	1.2	0.9
Financial and insurance services	0.3	0.8	0.9
Health care and social assistance	0.3	1.1	0.8
Professional, scientific and technical services	0.1	0.7	0.7
Public administration and safety	-0.1	2.7	0.7
Transport, postal and warehousing	0.0	0.5	0.7
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	-1.4	1.3	0.7
Manufacturing	-0.3	0.5	0.6
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	0.2	0.6	0.6
Wholesale trade	-0.1	0.6	0.5
Retail trade	-0.7	0.4	0.3

Month change in employee jobs, by industry (a) (b)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["Education and training                         ","Administrative and support services            ","Information media and telecommunications       ","Accommodation and food services                ","Arts and recreation services                   ","Mining                                         ","Other services                                 ","Construction                                   ","Rental, hiring and real estate services        ","Financial and insurance services               ","Health care and social assistance              ","Professional, scientific and technical services","Public administration and safety               ","Transport, postal and warehousing              ","Agriculture, forestry and fishing              ","Manufacturing                                  ","Electricity, gas, water and waste services     ","Wholesale trade                                ","Retail trade                                   "],[[3.2],[0.2],[0],[-0.8],[0.7],[0.3],[0.4],[0.1],[0.2],[0.3],[0.3],[0.1],[-0.1],[0],[-1.4],[-0.3],[0.2],[-0.1],[-0.7]],[[3.7],[3.3],[0.7],[1.8],[1.3],[0.3],[1.1],[1],[1.2],[0.8],[1.1],[0.7],[2.7],[0.5],[1.3],[0.5],[0.6],[0.6],[0.4]],[[3.1],[2.4],[2.1],[2],[1.9],[1.5],[1.1],[1.1],[0.9],[0.9],[0.8],[0.7],[0.7],[0.7],[0.7],[0.6],[0.6],[0.5],[0.3]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industries are ranked by descending month change in March 2026.
Temporary roles created ahead of the May 2025 federal election contributed to higher month change in the Public administration and safety industry in March 2025.

Month change, February

In February 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers increased in 18 of 19 industries from January 2026.

Professional, scientific and technical services saw the largest increase of $965m or +8.7%, driven by cyclical bonuses.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry (a) (b)
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
Mining	10.5	13.0	13.9
Financial and insurance services	6.9	8.9	11.1
Information media and telecommunications	9.6	9.3	10.3
Construction	8.8	9.7	9.7
Administrative and support services	8.3	9.3	9.4
Professional, scientific and technical services	6.9	8.6	8.7
Wholesale trade	7.4	7.9	8.0
Manufacturing	6.3	6.8	7.9
Education and training	8.3	7.9	7.7
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	3.6	5.4	5.5
Rental, hiring and real estate services	6.0	6.6	5.1
Transport, postal and warehousing	4.1	4.3	4.5
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	-1.3	3.2	4.1
Other services	3.3	4.0	3.8
Arts and recreation services	1.8	3.5	3.0
Retail trade	0.0	1.1	1.2
Public administration and safety	1.0	0.3	0.8
Health care and social assistance	0.3	1.2	0.5
Accommodation and food services	-4.2	0.1	0.0

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry (a) (b)

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["Mining                                         ","Financial and insurance services               ","Information media and telecommunications       ","Construction                                   ","Administrative and support services            ","Professional, scientific and technical services","Wholesale trade                                ","Manufacturing                                  ","Education and training                         ","Electricity, gas, water and waste services     ","Rental, hiring and real estate services        ","Transport, postal and warehousing              ","Agriculture, forestry and fishing              ","Other services                                 ","Arts and recreation services                   ","Retail trade                                   ","Public administration and safety               ","Health care and social assistance              ","Accommodation and food services                "],[[10.5],[6.9],[9.6],[8.8],[8.3],[6.9],[7.4],[6.3],[8.3],[3.6],[6],[4.1],[-1.3],[3.3],[1.8],[0],[1],[0.3],[-4.2]],[[13],[8.9],[9.3],[9.7],[9.3],[8.6],[7.9],[6.8],[7.9],[5.4],[6.6],[4.3],[3.2],[4],[3.5],[1.1],[0.3],[1.2],[0.1]],[[13.9],[11.1],[10.3],[9.7],[9.4],[8.7],[8],[7.9],[7.7],[5.5],[5.1],[4.5],[4.1],[3.8],[3],[1.2],[0.8],[0.5],[0]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industries are ranked by descending month change in February 2026.
The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In February 2026, employee jobs increased in 18 of 19 industries from January 2026.

Education and training saw the largest increase of 68,700 employee jobs and +5.7%.

Month change in employee jobs, by industry (a)
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
Education and training	6.2	6.1	5.7
Administrative and support services	2.9	3.4	3.8
Arts and recreation services	3.6	3.4	3.3
Construction	1.7	1.6	1.9
Health care and social assistance	1.6	1.6	1.9
Rental, hiring and real estate services	1.3	1.3	1.6
Accommodation and food services	0.0	1.2	1.5
Professional, scientific and technical services	1.1	1.3	1.4
Other services	1.7	1.7	1.4
Information media and telecommunications	1.9	2.5	0.9
Manufacturing	0.6	0.8	0.9
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	1.0	0.6	0.8
Financial and insurance services	0.9	0.7	0.7
Public administration and safety	1.5	0.5	0.6
Wholesale trade	0.5	0.3	0.5
Mining	0.4	0.4	0.4
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	-0.7	-0.8	0.3
Transport, postal and warehousing	0.7	0.6	0.1
Retail trade	-0.2	0.0	-1.8

Month change in employee jobs, by industry (a)

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["Education and training                         ","Administrative and support services            ","Arts and recreation services                   ","Construction                                   ","Health care and social assistance              ","Rental, hiring and real estate services        ","Accommodation and food services                ","Professional, scientific and technical services","Other services                                 ","Information media and telecommunications       ","Manufacturing                                  ","Electricity, gas, water and waste services     ","Financial and insurance services               ","Public administration and safety               ","Wholesale trade                                ","Mining                                         ","Agriculture, forestry and fishing              ","Transport, postal and warehousing              ","Retail trade                                   "],[[6.2],[2.9],[3.6],[1.7],[1.6],[1.3],[0],[1.1],[1.7],[1.9],[0.6],[1],[0.9],[1.5],[0.5],[0.4],[-0.7],[0.7],[-0.2]],[[6.1],[3.4],[3.4],[1.6],[1.6],[1.3],[1.2],[1.3],[1.7],[2.5],[0.8],[0.6],[0.7],[0.5],[0.3],[0.4],[-0.8],[0.6],[0]],[[5.7],[3.8],[3.3],[1.9],[1.9],[1.6],[1.5],[1.4],[1.4],[0.9],[0.9],[0.8],[0.7],[0.6],[0.5],[0.4],[0.3],[0.1],[-1.8]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industries are ranked by descending month change in February 2026.

Month change, January

In January 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers decreased in all industries from December 2025.

Education and training saw the largest decrease of $1,047m and -12.1%, due to reduced activity during the holiday period.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry (a)
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
Education and training	-11.5	-13.2	-12.1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	-4.9	-4.5	-7.6
Financial and insurance services	-7.9	-6.7	-7.0
Manufacturing	-4.7	-4.2	-4.7
Transport, postal and warehousing	-4.0	-3.3	-3.8
Retail trade	-4.2	-4.7	-3.6
Rental, hiring and real estate services	-4.4	-4.3	-3.5
Wholesale trade	-4.7	-3.2	-3.4
Arts and recreation services	-3.4	-4.1	-3.2
Professional, scientific and technical services	-4.1	-3.4	-3.1
Construction	-4.4	-3.5	-2.6
Other services	-2.6	-2.5	-2.1
Accommodation and food services	-2.9	-3.2	-2.0
Mining	-1.1	-1.0	-1.3
Administrative and support services	-3.4	-1.7	-1.2
Public administration and safety	-0.6	-1.3	-0.7
Health care and social assistance	-0.3	-0.6	-0.6
Information media and telecommunications	-0.4	1.8	-0.3
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	-1.3	-1.5	-0.1

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by industry (a)

[" ","Jan-24","Jan-25","Jan-26"]

[["Education and training                         ","Agriculture, forestry and fishing              ","Financial and insurance services               ","Manufacturing                                  ","Transport, postal and warehousing              ","Retail trade                                   ","Rental, hiring and real estate services        ","Wholesale trade                                ","Arts and recreation services                   ","Professional, scientific and technical services","Construction                                   ","Other services                                 ","Accommodation and food services                ","Mining                                         ","Administrative and support services            ","Public administration and safety               ","Health care and social assistance              ","Information media and telecommunications       ","Electricity, gas, water and waste services     "],[[-11.5],[-4.9],[-7.9],[-4.7],[-4],[-4.2],[-4.4],[-4.7],[-3.4],[-4.1],[-4.4],[-2.6],[-2.9],[-1.1],[-3.4],[-0.6],[-0.3],[-0.4],[-1.3]],[[-13.2],[-4.5],[-6.7],[-4.2],[-3.3],[-4.7],[-4.3],[-3.2],[-4.1],[-3.4],[-3.5],[-2.5],[-3.2],[-1],[-1.7],[-1.3],[-0.6],[1.8],[-1.5]],[[-12.1],[-7.6],[-7],[-4.7],[-3.8],[-3.6],[-3.5],[-3.4],[-3.2],[-3.1],[-2.6],[-2.1],[-2],[-1.3],[-1.2],[-0.7],[-0.6],[-0.3],[-0.1]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industries are ranked by ascending month change in January 2026.

In January 2026, employee jobs decreased in 15 of 19 industries from December 2025.

Education and training saw the largest decrease of 91,100 employee jobs and -7.1%.

Month change in employee jobs, by industry (a)
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
Education and training	-8.3	-8.2	-7.1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	-2.8	-2.8	-3.3
Arts and recreation services	-3.2	-4.2	-2.9
Administrative and support services	-3.4	-4.4	-2.8
Accommodation and food services	-2.2	-3.3	-1.8
Transport, postal and warehousing	-1.4	-2.2	-1.7
Retail trade	-2.9	-4.0	-1.7
Rental, hiring and real estate services	-1.4	-2.0	-1.5
Other services	-1.1	-1.9	-1.2
Manufacturing	-0.2	-0.8	-0.9
Professional, scientific and technical services	-1.3	-1.1	-0.8
Wholesale trade	-0.7	-1.3	-0.7
Financial and insurance services	-0.9	-0.7	-0.7
Information media and telecommunications	-1.3	-1.9	-0.5
Construction	-0.3	-1.0	-0.3
Health care and social assistance	0.5	-0.4	0.0
Public administration and safety	-0.2	-0.2	0.1
Mining	0.5	-0.5	0.2
Electricity, gas, water and waste services	0.6	0.3	0.8

Month change in employee jobs, by industry (a)

[" ","Jan-24","Jan-25","Jan-26"]

[["Education and training                         ","Agriculture, forestry and fishing              ","Arts and recreation services                   ","Administrative and support services            ","Accommodation and food services                ","Transport, postal and warehousing              ","Retail trade                                   ","Rental, hiring and real estate services        ","Other services                                 ","Manufacturing                                  ","Professional, scientific and technical services","Wholesale trade                                ","Financial and insurance services               ","Information media and telecommunications       ","Construction                                   ","Health care and social assistance              ","Public administration and safety               ","Mining                                         ","Electricity, gas, water and waste services     "],[[-8.3],[-2.8],[-3.2],[-3.4],[-2.2],[-1.4],[-2.9],[-1.4],[-1.1],[-0.2],[-1.3],[-0.7],[-0.9],[-1.3],[-0.3],[0.5],[-0.2],[0.5],[0.6]],[[-8.2],[-2.8],[-4.2],[-4.4],[-3.3],[-2.2],[-4],[-2],[-1.9],[-0.8],[-1.1],[-1.3],[-0.7],[-1.9],[-1],[-0.4],[-0.2],[-0.5],[0.3]],[[-7.1],[-3.3],[-2.9],[-2.8],[-1.8],[-1.7],[-1.7],[-1.5],[-1.2],[-0.9],[-0.8],[-0.7],[-0.7],[-0.5],[-0.3],[0],[0.1],[0.2],[0.8]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Industries are ranked by ascending month change in January 2026.

Employment size

In March 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers increased in 2 of 3 employment size groups from February 2026.

Businesses with 200 employees and over saw the largest increase of $1,443m and +2.5%.

Total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size
	Jan-26 ($m)	Feb-26 ($m)	Mar-26 ($m)
0-19 employees	21,812	23,270	23,190
20-199 employees	26,890	28,918	29,044
200 employees and over	54,414	56,882	58,326
All sizes	103,116	109,070	110,560

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size (a)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
0-19 employees	0.3	-0.6	-0.3
20-199 employees	1.0	-0.1	0.4
200 employees and over	3.9	2.2	2.5

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size (a)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["0-19 employees        ","20-199 employees      ","200 employees and over"],[[0.3],[1],[3.9]],[[-0.6],[-0.1],[2.2]],[[-0.3],[0.4],[2.5]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"-1.5","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In March 2026, employee jobs increased in all employment size groups from February 2026.

Businesses with 200 employees and over saw the largest increase of 83,000 employee jobs or +1.2%.

Employee jobs, by employment size
	Jan-26 ('000)	Feb-26 ('000)	Mar-26 ('000)
0-19 employees	4,001	4,082	4,134
20-199 employees	3,962	4,030	4,079
200 employees and over	7,094	7,174	7,257
All sizes	15,058	15,286	15,470

Month change in employee jobs, by employment size
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
0-19 employees	0.2	1.3	1.3
20-199 employees	-0.1	1.3	1.2
200 employees and over	0.3	1.6	1.2

Month change in employee jobs, by employment size

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["0-19 employees        ","20-199 employees      ","200 employees and over"],[[0.2],[-0.1],[0.3]],[[1.3],[1.3],[1.6]],[[1.3],[1.2],[1.2]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"-0.5","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Month change, February

In February 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers increased in all employment size groups from January 2026.

Businesses with 200 employees and over saw the largest increase of $2,469m or +4.5%.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size (a)
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
0-19 employees	5.1	6.2	6.7
20-199 employees	5.7	7.1	7.5
200 employees and over	4.1	4.7	4.5

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size (a)

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["0-19 employees        ","20-199 employees      ","200 employees and over"],[[5.1],[5.7],[4.1]],[[6.2],[7.1],[4.7]],[[6.7],[7.5],[4.5]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In February 2026, employee jobs increased in all employment size groups from January 2026.

Businesses with 0-19 employees saw the largest increase of 81,500 employee jobs and +2.0%.

Month change in employee jobs, by employment size
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
0-19 employees	1.8	2.1	2.0
20-199 employees	1.4	1.7	1.7
200 employees and over	1.4	1.3	1.1

Month change in employee jobs, by employment size

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["0-19 employees        ","20-199 employees      ","200 employees and over"],[[1.8],[1.4],[1.4]],[[2.1],[1.7],[1.3]],[[2],[1.7],[1.1]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":"2.5","tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Month change, January

In January 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers decreased in all employment size groups from December 2025.

Businesses with 200 employees and over saw the largest decrease of $2,032m and -3.6%.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
0-19 employees	-4.2	-3.7	-3.2
20-199 employees	-3.5	-2.8	-3.0
200 employees and over	-3.9	-4.0	-3.6

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by employment size

[" ","Jan-24","Jan-25","Jan-26"]

[["0-19 employees        ","20-199 employees      ","200 employees and over"],[[-4.2],[-3.5],[-3.9]],[[-3.7],[-2.8],[-4]],[[-3.2],[-3],[-3.6]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"-5","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

In January 2026, employee jobs decreased in all employment size groups from December 2025.

Businesses with 200 employees and over saw the largest decrease of 106,300 employee jobs or -1.5%.

Month change in employee jobs, by employment size
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
0-19 employees	-1.9	-2.3	-1.6
20-199 employees	-1.5	-2.3	-1.5
200 employees and over	-1.8	-2.4	-1.5

Month change in employee jobs, by employment size

[" ","Jan-24","Jan-25","Jan-26"]

[["0-19 employees        ","20-199 employees      ","200 employees and over"],[[-1.9],[-1.5],[-1.8]],[[-2.3],[-2.3],[-2.4]],[[-1.6],[-1.5],[-1.5]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":"-3","axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Sector

In March 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers rose in both sectors from February 2026.

Total wages and salaries paid by employers, by sector
	Jan-26 ($m)	Feb-26 ($m)	Mar-26 ($m)
Private	81,348	87,036	88,137
Public	21,768	22,034	22,423
All sectors	103,116	109,070	110,560

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by sector (a)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
Private	2.1	0.7	1.3
Public	3.1	2.2	1.8

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by sector (a)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["Private","Public "],[[2.1],[3.1]],[[0.7],[2.2]],[[1.3],[1.8]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In March 2026, employee jobs rose in both sectors from February 2026.

Employee jobs, by sector
	Jan-26 ('000)	Feb-26 ('000)	Mar-26 ('000)
Private	12,522	12,705	12,857
Public	2,535	2,581	2,613
All sectors	15,058	15,286	15,470

Month change in employee jobs, by sector (a)
	Mar-24 (%)	Mar-25 (%)	Mar-26 (%)
Private	0.0	1.3	1.2
Public	1.0	2.2	1.3

Month change in employee jobs, by sector (a)

[" ","Mar-24","Mar-25","Mar-26"]

[["Private","Public "],[[0],[1]],[[1.3],[2.2]],[[1.2],[1.3]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Temporary roles created ahead of the May 2025 federal election contributed to higher Public sector month change in March 2025.

Month change, February

In February 2026, total wages and salaries paid by employers rose in both sectors from January 2026.

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by sector (a)
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
Private	5.5	6.8	7.0
Public	1.6	1.2	1.2

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by sector (a)

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["Private","Public "],[[5.5],[1.6]],[[6.8],[1.2]],[[7],[1.2]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

The leap year day in February 2024 alters the seasonal change usually seen in February and March. For more information see the leap year effect section within Factors affecting interpretation.

In February 2026, employee jobs rose in both sectors from January 2026.

Month change in employee jobs, by sector
	Feb-24 (%)	Feb-25 (%)	Feb-26 (%)
Private	1.3	1.6	1.5
Public	2.4	1.7	1.8

Month change in employee jobs, by sector

[" ","Feb-24","Feb-25","Feb-26"]

[["Private","Public "],[[1.3],[2.4]],[[1.6],[1.7]],[[1.5],[1.8]]]

[]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"%","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"(%)","table_units":"(%)","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":"1","precision":"1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Month change, January

Month change in total wages and salaries paid by employers, by sector
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
Private	-3.8	-3.4	-3.1
Public	-3.9	-4.5	-4.1

Month change in employee jobs, by sector
	Jan-24 (%)	Jan-25 (%)	Jan-26 (%)
Private	-1.4	-2.3	-1.2
Public	-3.4	-2.8	-2.8

Data downloads

Table 1. Total wages and salaries paid by employers, percentage change

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Table 2. Total wages and salaries paid by employers, level

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Table 3. Employee jobs, percentage change

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Download xlsx [56.27 KB]

Table 4. Employee jobs, level

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Download xlsx [40.57 KB]

All data cubes

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Article archive

Monthly employee jobs: New insights on wages and salaries growth (February 2026)

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Monthly Employee Earnings Indicator

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Month change, February

Month change, January

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Month change, February

Month change, January

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Month change, February

Month change, January

Sector

Month change, February

Month change, January

Data downloads

Table 1. Total wages and salaries paid by employers, percentage change

Table 2. Total wages and salaries paid by employers, level

Table 3. Employee jobs, percentage change

Table 4. Employee jobs, level

All data cubes

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