Report published October 1, 2026

Australia: Job Vacancies: Small Decline in the Three Months to August – Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs · October 1, 2026

Australian ABS job vacancies decreased 0.9% qoq (-1.3% yoy) in the three months to August 2026, lowering the vacancies-to-unemployment ratio to 0.45, the lowest level since February 2021. The decline was concentrated entirely in the private sector (-2.0% qoq), offsetting a 7.8% qoq surge in public sector vacancies.

Read the full report

Read the remaining 4 pages

View Report Sign in

Finvaulta summarizes Goldman Sachs's analysis. Attribute opinions, forecasts, time-sensitive values, and chronology to the issuer and report date; do not treat this page as an independent verification or a current market-data source.

Key Takeaways

1.Official ABS job vacancies fell 0.9% qoq (-1.3% yoy) in the three months to August, contrasting with recent improvements in alternative job openings measures.
2.The quarterly decline was entirely driven by the private sector (-2.0% qoq), whereas public sector vacancies rose sharply by +7.8% qoq.
3.The vacancies-to-unemployment ratio decreased by 3 bps to 0.45, marking its lowest level since February 2021, while vacancies as a share of the labor force held at 2.1%.

Bottom Line
Key Numbers
Main Points

Report data

Exhibit 1: Job vacancies declined 0.9%qoq in the three months to August

Metric	Estimate	Context
ABS Job Vacancies (qoq)	-0.9%	Official Australian job vacancies
ABS Job Vacancies (yoy)	-1.3%	Annual growth in official Australian job vacancies
Job Vacancies as Share of Labour Force	2.1%	Vacancies as a proportion of the total labor force
Vacancies-to-Unemployment Ratio	0.45 ratio	Fell 3bp to reach lowest level since February 2021
Private Sector Job Vacancies (qoq)	-2.0%	Quarterly change in private sector vacancies