What’s going on here?
Australia’s job market held steady last quarter, as new roles popped up mainly in government-backed sectors and workers took home slightly bigger paychecks.
What does this mean?
Fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that filled jobs crept up by 0.2% in the June 2025 quarter, bringing the total to 16 million. Most of these gains were powered by the public sector—think health care, education, and public administration. Secondary jobs, or extra gigs beyond a main job, dropped by 1.2% to 1 million, marking the second consecutive quarterly fall—a pattern not seen since 2019. This trend cut across 13 of 19 industries, signaling a wider shift. Meanwhile, job vacancies rose 2.9% to 340,500, and average income grew 0.8% to AU$25,018.80 per worker. In short, more jobs and fatter paychecks, with the public sector doing the heavy lifting as Australians rely less on juggling multiple gigs.
Why should I care?
For markets: Public sector jobs provide a safety net.
Growth in government-backed roles suggests steady demand in sectors that buffer Australia from turbulence in private industries. With total hours worked nearing 6 billion and wages still edging up, analysts will be watching whether private sector hiring can keep up as vacancies increase. The drop in people holding multiple jobs could signal that better full-time roles are becoming available, which typically supports household spending and lifts consumer confidence.
The bigger picture: Shifts in hiring reveal Australia’s changing economy.
Public sector hiring has become the backbone of job growth, picking up the slack from softer private sector additions. Compared to a year ago, the total number of jobs is up 1.7%, but job vacancies are down 2.6%, hinting at mismatches between available roles and job seekers. For policymakers, knowing which industries are driving employment and where fewer people need second jobs will help shape strategies for education, training, and economic planning.