Australian job vacancies fell for a second consecutive quarter in August 2026, with private-sector demand driving the decline, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The number of job vacancies fell 0.9% to 325,000 in the three months to August, following a 2.2% decline in the previous quarter. Vacancies were also 1.3% lower than a year earlier and are now 31.2% below the series peak recorded in May 2022.
The latest figures point to a continued softening in parts of Australia's hiring market, particularly across business and professional services.
Private-sector vacancies fall while public-sector demand rises
The private sector accounted for the latest decline.
Private-sector vacancies fell 2.0%, or 5,800 positions, to 286,300 on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Public-sector vacancies moved in the opposite direction, rising 7.8%, or 2,800 positions, to 38,700.
According to Sean Crick, head of labour statistics at the ABS, the overall decline was driven largely by weaker demand in business goods and services, although increases in customer-facing roles partly offset the fall.
Professional services see a sharp decline
Some of the largest movements were recorded across individual industries.
Vacancies in wholesale trade fell 18.0%, while professional, scientific and technical services declined 17.3% to 29,500 positions.
The decline was not spread evenly across the economy. Retail trade vacancies increased 24.5% to 32,400, while vacancies in financial and insurance services rose 14.1%.
Health care and social assistance continued to have the largest number of vacancies, with 54,300 open positions, although that was down from 56,700 in May.
The figures also varied considerably by location. Vacancies declined in five of Australia's eight states and territories. The Australian Capital Territory recorded the largest fall at 21.9%, followed by the Northern Territory at 8.0%.
South Australia recorded a 5.8% increase, while Victoria rose 1.4%.
What the numbers mean for the hiring market
The vacancy figures come shortly after separate ABS data showed Australia's unemployment rate rising to 4.6% in August.
The combination of fewer vacancies in some professional sectors and a larger number of people looking for work could reduce competition for certain white-collar roles. However, the situation remains uneven across industries.
Retail, health care and other customer-facing sectors continue to have substantial numbers of vacancies. Accommodation and food services, for example, recorded 33,700 vacancies in August.
For employers, the latest figures suggest that hiring conditions are increasingly dependent on the sector and type of role rather than moving uniformly across the Australian labour market.
The decline in professional and business-service vacancies also signals a different hiring environment from the one seen during the post-pandemic peak, when labour shortages were widespread across many industries.
