Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7% in September 2026, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on 15 October. About 39,000 fewer people were employed than in the previous month, while the number of unemployed people rose by about 9,000.

The employment-to-population ratio fell to 63.6% and the participation rate to 66.8%. The underemployment rate increased to 6.3%.

The ABS also reported that its trend unemployment rate held at 4.6%. It advised caution in interpreting the seasonally adjusted September figures because recent survey-collection changes may have had some residual influence. The figures are national and do not establish a Cairns-specific employment change.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, Australia, September 2026 (released 15 October 2026). https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/unemployment-rate-47-september

Image disclosure: This AI-generated conceptual editorial illustration does not depict a real employment scene or reproduce official ABS data.