Overall Australian unemployment and under-employment at 3.28 million in October – 11th straight month above 3 million
In October 2025, Australian ‘real’ unemployment decreased 102,000 to 1,637,000 (down 0.5% to 10.3% of the workforce), but under-employment increased 147,000 to 1,646,000 (up 1.1% to 10.4%).
Roy Morgan estimates the overall workforce size (which adds together the employed and unemployed) at just under 16 million in October – 15,857,000 to be exact, down 201,000 on a month ago, and representing 68.4% of Australians aged 14+.
The decrease in the workforce was driven by falls in both employment and unemployment, as people left the workforce. Overall employment fell 99,000 to 14,220,000, and ‘real’ unemployment was down 102,000 to 1,637,000. Now overall employment represents 61.3% of Australians aged 14+.
Detailed Roy Morgan Employment Estimates in October:
- Australian workforce dropped by 201,000 in October to under 15.9 million:
In October the Australian workforce decreased 201,000 to 15,857,000 driven by a fall in employment, down 99,000 to 14,220,000 and fall in unemployment, which fell 102,000 to 1,637,000.
- Overall employment decreased in October driven by a fall in full-time employment:
Australian employment dropped 99,000 to 14,220,000 driven by a fall in full-time employment, down 229,000 to 8,993,000, and equivalent to 63.2% of employed Australians. However, part-time employment increased by 130,000 to 5,227,000, and equivalent to 36.8% of employed Australians.
- Unemployment dropped 0.5% in October to 10.3%:
1,637,000 Australians were unemployed (10.3% of the workforce, down 0.5%), down 102,000 from September. The fall in unemployment was driven by fewer people looking for part-time work, down 95,000 to 949,000, although there was little change to those looking for full-time work at 688,000.
- Under-employment increased in October; overall unemployment and under-employed at 20.7%:
In addition to the unemployed, a further 1.65 million Australians (10.4% of the workforce, up 1.1%) were under-employed, i.e. working part-time but looking for more work, up 147,000 from September. In total 3.28 million Australians (20.7% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in October.
- Comparisons with three years ago, during the early days of the Albanese Government (Oct. 2022), show a rapidly increasing population and workforce driving employment growth:
The Australian population aged 14+ in October 2025 was estimated at 23,190,000 (up 1,797,000 from October 2022 – more than double the pre-pandemic average growth of 840,000 over a three-year period). The workforce in October 2025 was 15,857,000 (up 1,027,000 from three years ago) – comprising 14,220,000 employed Australians (up 752,000) and 1,637,000 unemployed Australians (up 275,000).
The October Roy Morgan Unemployment estimates were obtained by surveying an Australia-wide cross section of people aged 14+. A person is classified as unemployed if they are looking for work, no matter when. The ‘real’ unemployment rate is presented as a percentage of the workforce (employed & unemployed).
Roy Morgan Unemployment & Under-employment (2019-2025)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2019 – October 2025. Average monthly interviews 5,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.
Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says the latest Roy Morgan employment estimates for October show combined unemployment and under-employment continuing at a high level above 3 million for an 11th straight month:
“The latest Roy Morgan employment estimates for October show overall Australian unemployment and under-employment increasing 45,000 to 3,283,000 (20.7% of the workforce, up 0.6%). Concerningly, overall unemployment and under-employment have been above 3 million all year.
“The increase in labour under-utilisation in October was driven by a significant rise in under-employment, up 147,000 to 1,646,000 (10.4% of the workforce, up 1.1%). Unemployment was down 102,000 to 1,637,000 (10.3% of the workforce, down 0.5%).
“A comparison to a year ago shows the nature of the employment market is rapidly shifting with full-time employment down 511,000 from October 2024, but part-time employment increasing 484,000 over the same period – a net loss in overall employment of 27,000.
“This shift in the workforce is clear when looking at the share of employed Australians in full-time and part-time employment. The share of employed Australians in part-time employment is now 36.8%, up 3.5% points from a year ago, compared to 63.2% now in full-time employment.
“The sluggish labour market – with no net jobs created compared to a year ago – shows the low level of productivity in the Australian economy is stifling growth and leading to labour market stagnation.
“The latest ABS Inflation estimates for the September quarter 2025 showed official CPI jumping 1.1% points to 3.2% – the highest level of inflation for over a year since June 2024 (3.8%). The quarterly level of inflation (+1.3%) was the highest for over two years since March 2023 (+1.4%).
“The biggest driver of inflation in the Australian economy is public spending – from Federal and State Governments – which is crowding out private investment and reducing economic productivity.
“The solution to the low productivity in Australia is for the Federal and State Government to cut public spending which will reduce inflationary pressures in the economy and allow the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates in the months ahead.
“In the United States, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates in September and October and ‘across the ditch’ the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has cut interest rates eight times since August 2024 – including in both August 2025 (-0.25% to 3%), and October 2025 (-0.5% to 2.5%).
“In contrast, the Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates on hold in each of the last two months.
“As the latest Roy Morgan employment and unemployment estimates show, the Australian economy needs the chance to grow and increase productivity that can be provided by a cut to Government spending, and lower interest rates throughout the economy.
“As long as the Albanese Government continues to increase public spending the economy will remain sluggish and over 3 million Australians will continue to be unemployed or under-employed.”
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About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
