The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released participation, job search and mobility data for February 2026, showing 1.7 million people were not working but wanted to work. The job mobility rate decreased to 7.2% from 7.7% in February 2025, while the annual retrenchment rate fell to 1.8% from 1.9%. Among part-time workers, 822,800 preferred and were available for more hours, with 48% seeking full-time work. The ABS noted changes to the Participation, Job Search and Mobility survey as part of its Labour Force Survey modernisation program. These updates will transition data collection to a new Labour Supplementary Survey, with first 2026 estimates expected in April 2027. Microdata from 2015-2026 will be available via TableBuilder and DataLab on 6 August 2026.
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This article is a summary of content originally published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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