Highlights

  • Australian Job Vacancies fall 0.9% to 325,000 in August 2026, extending the retreat from the May 2022 peak.
  • Private sector vacancies decline 2.0% to 286,300 while public sector openings climb 7.8% to 38,700.
  • Retail vacancies reach 32,400, while professional, scientific and technical services record 29,500 unfilled positions.
  • Most surveyed businesses report no AI impact on vacancy levels, with 3.8% reporting fewer vacancies due to AI.

Australia entered the August 2026 job vacancies reading with 325,000 unfilled positions on a seasonally adjusted basis, down 0.9% from May. The decline of around 3,000 vacancies was modest in quarterly terms, but the composition shifted: private employers reported fewer openings while the public sector recorded an increase. The national count stood 31.2% below the May 2022 series peak, placing the latest result within a longer retreat in advertised and otherwise actively recruited vacancies.

Private Openings Ease as Public Recruitment Rises

Private sector vacancies fell 2.0% over the quarter to 286,300, compared with 38,700 vacancies in the public sector, which rose 7.8%. On a yearly basis, private vacancies were 1.5% lower, while public vacancies were unchanged. The trend series showed a somewhat different picture, with total vacancies at 326,300, down 0.9% over the quarter and 1.2% over the year. The figures distinguish a quarterly public-sector rise in seasonally adjusted vacancies from the flatter annual outcome.

Retail and Health Care Show Different Hiring Patterns

Industry-level original estimates revealed different movements behind the aggregate. Retail trade vacancies increased from 26,000 in May to 32,400 in August, while accommodation and food services recorded 33,700, compared with 34,000 in May. Health care and social assistance had 54,300 vacancies, down from 56,700. Professional, scientific and technical services recorded 29,500, falling from 35,700. Manufacturing reported 22,200, compared with 21,700, and Mining recorded 11,000, up from 10,300. These industry counts are original estimates rather than the seasonally adjusted national totals.

Artificial Intelligence Enters the Vacancy Survey

The August release also introduced estimates of how artificial intelligence affects vacancy numbers. Some 81.8% of businesses reported no impact on their vacancies, while 3.8% reported a reduction and 0.6% an increase. Another 13.0% were unsure. The largest share reporting fewer vacancies due to AI was in information media and telecommunications, at 16.2%. Electricity, gas, water and waste services had the highest share reporting an increase, at 9.9%. The results describe businesses’ reported experience rather than an economy-wide count of positions eliminated or created.

What the Next Vacancy Reading Will Add

The release measures vacancies at a particular point in time, including roles recruited through methods beyond conventional advertisements. It therefore differs from job advertisement counts collected over longer periods. The next scheduled quarterly result, for November 2026, is due in January 2027 and will offer a further comparison of private and public vacancy movements. For now, August shows a small overall decrease alongside a clear divergence between the two sectors.