Australian Job Vacancies Rise 2.7% in Early 2026 – Bucking the US and UK Hiring Slowdown

Australian job vacancies rose 2.7% to 337,900 in the three months to February 2026, the highest level since November 2024 – even as job openings fell sharply in the United States and slid to a four-year low in the United Kingdom. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows the local labour market is heating up while two of the world’s largest economies cool down.

For Australian job seekers and employers, the message is clear: demand for workers is climbing again, and the window to find work or hire talent is widening.

Australia’s February 2026 quarter at a glance

Source: ABS Job Vacancies, Australia, February 2026 (seasonally adjusted), released 13 March 2026.

Australia vs the US vs the UK: a three-way comparison

This is the headline story. Three comparable economies, three very different directions in early 2026.

Sources: ABS, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (JOLTS), UK Office for National Statistics.

The takeaway: Australia is the only one of the three trending upward. US job openings dropped to 6.88 million in February, a monthly fall of 358,000 and the steepest in over a year, while UK vacancies slipped to 705,000, the lowest reading since the pandemic-era spring of 2021.

A note on fair comparison: Each country measures vacancies differently. Australia reports a quarterly, seasonally adjusted snapshot; the US JOLTS series is monthly; the UK uses a rolling three-month average. Absolute totals also reflect economy size, so the meaningful signal is the direction and rate of change, not the raw count. On that measure, Australia clearly stands apart.

Inside Australia’s vacancy rebound

The 2.7% rise followed a revised 0.5% gain the previous quarter, and lifted vacancies 3.7% above where they sat a year earlier. The growth was broad: 12 of the 18 industries recorded more openings.

Where hiring grew fastest:

• Construction led the way, up a striking 19.3% a strong signal for tradespeople and project workers.
• Wholesale trade followed at +14.2%.
• Customer-facing roles in retail trade and accommodation and food services also drove gains.

Where hiring pulled back:

• Information media and telecommunications fell 9.5%.
• Arts and recreation services dropped 5.9%.

If your skills sit in construction, retail, hospitality or wholesale, this is your moment, browse live roles or check what these roles pay before you apply.

State-by-state: where the jobs are

Vacancies climbed in seven of the eight states and territories:

• Northern Territory surged 23.0%, the biggest jump in the country.
• Tasmania rose 5.9%.
• South Australia was the only decline, down 2.3%.

How February 2026 compares to February 2025?

Year-on-year, the picture is one of steady recovery rather than a boom. There were 12,100 more vacancies than in February 2025, a 3.7% annual increase. Notably, public sector vacancies grew faster over the year (+4.7%) than the private sector (+3.6%), even though the private sector did the heavy lifting in the most recent quarter.

Context matters here: despite the rebound, vacancies remain 28.6% below their May 2022 peak. So while demand is firming, this is a normalizing market, not the red-hot, post-pandemic scramble of three years ago. For job seekers, that means opportunity is real but competition still rewards a sharp resume and a well-prepared interview.

Why is Australia outperforming the US and UK?

A few forces help explain the divergence:

1. Construction strength. Australia’s near-20% jump in construction vacancies reflects ongoing infrastructure and housing demand a sector under far more pressure in the cooling UK market.
2. Resilient consumer-facing demand. Retail and hospitality hiring rose locally, while in the US the largest February drop came from accommodation and food services (−211,000).
3. Different points in the rate cycle. Healthy Australian vacancy growth gives the Reserve Bank of Australia room to keep policy tight if needed, whereas softening US and UK demand reflects more advanced labour-market cooling.

In the UK, there are now roughly 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy, and in the US about 0.91 openings per unemployed worker, both looser than a year ago. Australia, by contrast, is adding openings.

What this means for Australian job seekers?

A rising vacancy count tilts the balance slightly back toward workers. To make the most of it:

• Move early in growth sectors. Construction, wholesale, retail and hospitality are hiring now. Search current openings on CloudColleague.
• Know your worth. Use Australian salary insights to benchmark offers before you negotiate.
• Stay flexible. Short-term and project work is plentiful – bid on tasks to build income and references between permanent roles.
• New to the country? A loosening market is a good entry point. Start with our First Time in Australia guide.

What this means for Australian employers?

Demand is rising, which means competition for quality candidates is too. To hire well in a tightening market:

• Act faster than the field. With vacancies at 15-month high, top candidates move quickly. Post a role in minutes.
• Lean on smart matching. Surface pre-vetted candidates by fit rather than sifting through irrelevant applications, see how CloudColleague’s platform features work.
• Budget realistically. Wage and salary expectations rise with demand; check current pay benchmarks before you advertise.