Australia - employment surges by 89,000 in April 2025

Australia's unemployment rate held steady in April, as 89,000 people found employment — much stronger jobs growth than had been forecast.

The rise in employment was larger for females, up 65,000 (0.9 per cent), while male employment was up 24,000 (0.3 per cent). 

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows employment has grown by 390,000 people over the year (+2.7 per cent), an annual growth rate that is much higher than the population growth rate for people aged 15 years and over (+2.1 per cent). 

The strong growth in employment saw the employment-to-population ratio lift by 0.3 percentage points to 64.4 per cent in April, which is just below the record high of 64.5 per cent recorded in January.

With the addition of 6,000 officially unemployed people (actively looking for work), the labour force swelled by 95,000 people in April, lifting the participation rate by 0.3 percentage points, to 67.1 per cent.

These statistics point to continued strong demand for skilled labour in Austalia, which cannot be met by the current labour force. This indicates an on-going demand for skilled migrants, particularly in the employer sponsored trade occupations that Heron Assist specialise in.