Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

Latest release

Labour participation potential, underemployment and job attachment, job search experience, labour mobility, hours worked, industry and occupation.

Reference period

February 2026

Released

31/07/2026

Next release Unknown

Release date and time

31/07/2026 11:30am AEST

Key statistics

In February 2026:

1.7 million people were not working but wanted to work
the job mobility rate was 7.2%, a decrease from February 2025 (7.7%)
the annual retrenchment rate was 1.8%, a decrease from 1.9% in February 2025
822,800 part-time workers who preferred and were available to work more hours, with almost half preferring to work full-time (48%)

Statistics from the Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) survey are published in three topic-based releases:

Microdata from the PJSM survey for 2015 to 2026 will be released in TableBuilder and DataLab (as a supplementary file to the Longitudinal Labour Force) on 6 August 2026. For more information, refer to Microdata and TableBuilder: Participation, Job Search and Mobility.

Upcoming changes to the Participation, Job Search and Mobility survey

As part of the ABS Labour Force Survey modernisation program (see Modernising the Labour Force Survey), changes have been made to labour supplementary surveys, including Participation, Job Search and Mobility. These changes affect collection timing, reference periods and published outputs. As a result, this was the last Participation, Job Search and Mobility survey conducted in its current form.

Content previously collected through this survey will be incorporated into the new Labour Supplementary Survey, with data compiled and published annually on a calendar-year basis. The first estimates for 2026, based on data collected from August to December 2026, are expected to be released in April 2027. A similar range of data will continue to be available through the new survey outputs.

Data downloads

How to use tables

Populations

Data files

Download xlsx [689.35 KB]

Potential workers

Download all (17.73 MB)

Data files

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers
Download xlsx [729.5 KB]
Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers
Download xlsx [5.84 MB]
Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers
Download xlsx [4.76 MB]
Table 4. Reasons did not actively look for work
Download xlsx [2.02 MB]
Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [338.05 KB]
Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience
Download xlsx [1.87 MB]
Table 7. Looking for work
Download xlsx [2.98 MB]

Job mobility

Download all (23.85 MB)

Data files

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment
Download xlsx [969.6 KB]
Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year
Download xlsx [3.16 MB]
Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year
Download xlsx [1.52 MB]
Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry of job 12 months ago
Download xlsx [5.32 MB]
Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry of current main job
Download xlsx [5.29 MB]
Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation of job 12 months ago
Download xlsx [4.08 MB]
Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation of current main job
Download xlsx [4.06 MB]

Underemployed workers

Download all (7.98 MB)

Data files

Table 1. Part-time workers preference for more hours
Download xlsx [199.46 KB]
Table 2. Part-time workers who prefer more hours by age
Download xlsx [405.27 KB]
Table 3. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours by age
Download xlsx [1.41 MB]
Table 4. Duration of insufficient hours of part-time workers who prefer more hours by state and territory
Download xlsx [3.47 MB]
Table 5. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by part-time workers who prefer more hours by state and territory
Download xlsx [3.42 MB]

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6226.0 (6226.0.55.001 in 2014).

Methodology

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia methodology, February 2026

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APA

Citation

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

APA

Citation

Key statistics

Upcoming changes to the Participation, Job Search and Mobility survey

Data downloads

How to use tables

Populations

Potential workers

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers

Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 4. Reasons did not actively look for work

Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons

Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience

Table 7. Looking for work

Job mobility

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment

Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year

Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year

Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry of job 12 months ago

Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry of current main job

Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation of job 12 months ago

Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation of current main job

Underemployed workers

Table 1. Part-time workers preference for more hours

Table 2. Part-time workers who prefer more hours by age

Table 3. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours by age

Table 4. Duration of insufficient hours of part-time workers who prefer more hours by state and territory

Table 5. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by part-time workers who prefer more hours by state and territory

Previous catalogue number

Methodology

Do you need more detailed statistics?

Request data

Microdata and TableBuilder

Provide feedback

APA

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

APA

Key statistics

Upcoming changes to the Participation, Job Search and Mobility survey

Data downloads

How to use tables

Populations

Potential workers

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers

Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 4. Reasons did not actively look for work

Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons

Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience

Table 7. Looking for work

Job mobility

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment

Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year

Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year

Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry of job 12 months ago

Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry of current main job

Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation of job 12 months ago

Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation of current main job

Underemployed workers

Table 1. Part-time workers preference for more hours

Table 2. Part-time workers who prefer more hours by age

Table 3. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours by age

Table 4. Duration of insufficient hours of part-time workers who prefer more hours by state and territory

Table 5. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by part-time workers who prefer more hours by state and territory

Previous catalogue number

Methodology

Articles

Underemployment and underutilisation 'u-series', June 2026

Do you need more detailed statistics?

Request data

Microdata and TableBuilder