Economic Buzz: Australia jobs market contracts by 18,600 in March

Australia?s employment declined by 18,600 to 14.74 million in March 2026, reversing the previous month?s revised gain of 23,300 and marking the first contraction since November. Full-time employment dropped by 10,700, while part-time jobs fell by 7,900. The employment-to-population ratio eased to 63.7% from 63.9%, extending its declining streak to five months, while the participation rate edged lower to 66.7%. Despite the monthly setback, total employment remained 128,900 higher than a year earlier, reflecting an annual increase of 0.9%.

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