National unemployment was 4.7%
Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7% in Sep 2026, up 0.2 percentage points from Jul 2026. The participation rate was 66.8%.
Australia's Job Market
Unemployment, participation and employment by state and territory, from the ABS Labour Force Survey.
The national unemployment rate was 4.7% in Sep 2026, up 0.2 percentage points from Jul 2026. 14.78M people were employed and the participation rate was 66.8%. It was lowest in South Australia (4.2%) and highest in Victoria (5.1%).
Valid: Sep 2026 · Source: ABS Labour Force Survey (6202.0), seasonally adjusted
Unemployment by state and territory
Latest unemployment rate for each state and territory, highest first, with the trend over the past 24 months.
| Rank | State or territory | Rate | Rate, to scale | 24-month trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIC Victoria Highest | 5.1% | Low 3.9% High 5.2% | |
| 2 | TAS Tasmania | 5.0% | Low 3.3% High 5.4% | |
| 3 | NSW New South Wales | 4.7% | Low 3.7% High 4.7% | |
| 4 | QLD Queensland | 4.5% | Low 3.7% High 4.5% | |
| 5 | WA Western Australia | 4.2% | Low 3.2% High 4.6% | |
| 6 | SA South Australia Lowest | 4.2% | Low 3.4% High 4.7% |
Unemployment rate over time
Monthly unemployment rate by state and territory, with the national rate in bold. Hover for exact values.
AUS
Participation rate
The share of working-age Australians who are employed or looking for work. It shows how much of the population the unemployment rate covers.
Participation rate, Sep 2026
66.8%
+0.2 percentage points since Jan 2024.
Participation rate, monthly
Jan 2024 to Sep 2026Participation and the unemployment rate
A rising participation rate alongside low unemployment means more people are finding work, not just that people have stopped looking. A falling participation rate can lower the unemployment figure without any new jobs.
Underemployment
Australia's underemployment rate, people working fewer hours than they want, typically runs 3 to 4 percentage points above the official unemployment rate. The headline rate does not count them.
Structural and cyclical unemployment
Some unemployment is structural (skills mismatch, geography, industry decline) and does not respond to interest rate cuts. Cyclical unemployment moves with economic conditions, which is the part the RBA can influence.
The latest figures in brief
From the ABS Labour Force Survey, Sep 2026.
South Australia had the lowest rate
Unemployment in South Australia was 4.2%, the lowest of the states and territories, against 4.7% nationally.
Victoria had the highest rate
Unemployment in Victoria was 5.1%, the highest of the states and territories, against 4.7% nationally.
Data sources
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Labour Force Survey (Cat. 6202.0): monthly unemployment rate, participation rate and employment totals by state, sex and age group.
ABS Labour ForceAbout this data
Seasonally adjusted data sourced directly from ABS releases. Unemployment rate = unemployed persons as a proportion of the labour force. Updated monthly after each ABS release.
ABS methodology