Australia Job Ads Decline at Softer Rate

2026-05-04 01:52 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

ANZ–Indeed Australian Job Ads fell 0.8% month-on-month in April 2026, easing from March’s 3.2% contraction, the steepest decline in six months, while marking a second consecutive contraction.

The latest data suggested labour demand may be starting to soften, as higher borrowing costs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties weigh on hiring appetite.

The pullback was largely driven by hospitality, particularly restaurants and cafés, where food preparation roles declined notably.

In contrast, the tech sector, spanning software development and data analytics, remained among the strongest performers so far this year, continuing to show resilience despite broader moderation.

On an annual basis, job ads slipped 1.4%, indicating a mild cooling trend.

However, postings still stood 12.5% above their long-term decade average, pointing to an underlying labour market that remains relatively tight even as momentum begins to ease.



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Australia Job Ads Decline at Softer Rate
ANZ–Indeed Australian Job Ads fell 0.8% month-on-month in April 2026, easing from March’s 3.2% contraction, the steepest decline in six months, while marking a second consecutive contraction. The latest data suggested labour demand may be starting to soften, as higher borrowing costs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties weigh on hiring appetite. The pullback was largely driven by hospitality, particularly restaurants and cafés, where food preparation roles declined notably. In contrast, the tech sector, spanning software development and data analytics, remained among the strongest performers so far this year, continuing to show resilience despite broader moderation. On an annual basis, job ads slipped 1.4%, indicating a mild cooling trend. However, postings still stood 12.5% above their long-term decade average, pointing to an underlying labour market that remains relatively tight even as momentum begins to ease.
2026-05-04
Australia Job Ads Fall the Most in 6 Months
ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads slipped 3.1% month-on-month in March 2026, reversing February’s 16-month high of 3.2% and signaling the first decline in three months. The drop also marked the steepest decrease since last September, suggesting that surging global energy costs are starting to weigh on business confidence and hiring intentions. Weakness was concentrated in education, nursing, personal care, and retail, offsetting gains in project management and engineering roles. Meanwhile, job ads in sectors more exposed to the Middle East conflict, such as logistics and transport, were largely unchanged, pointing to a cautious but not yet deteriorating outlook in those industries.
2026-04-07
Australia Job Ads Extend Gains
ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads rose 3.2% month-on-month in January 2025, easing from an upwardly revised 5.2% gain in December. Despite the slower pace, it marked the first back-to-back monthly increases since October 2024, lifting ads to their highest level since then. According to Indeed senior economist Callam Pickering, the New Year has coincided with a stronger hiring appetite nationwide. In February, ads for nurses climbed to their highest level in nearly two years, while management roles reached the strongest level since September 2023. Vacancies also rose solidly in retail and administration, suggesting broad-based labour demand. Growth was widespread across mainland states, though Tasmania lagged. New South Wales recorded the largest increase, followed by Western Australia and Queensland.
2026-03-02