In June Australian unemployment dropped to 10.4% driven by rise in new jobs – especially full-time jobs
In June 2025, Australian ‘real’ unemployment dropped 61,000 to 1,654,000 (down 0.5% to 10.4% of the workforce) – a second straight monthly fall. The fall in unemployment was driven by an increase in full-time employment while part-time employment was little changed on a month ago.
Roy Morgan estimates the overall workforce size (which adds together both the employed and unemployed) at almost 15.9 million in June – 15,887,000 to be exact, up 147,000 on a month ago and representing 68.8% of Australians aged 14+.
The rise in the workforce was driven by increasing employment, which increased 208,000 to 14,233,000 driven by rising full-time employment, up 229,000 to 9,211,000. In contrast, part-time employment softened marginally, down 21,000 to 5,022,000. Overall employment represents 61.6% of Australians aged 14+.
Detailed Roy Morgan Employment Estimates in June:
- Australian workforce increased by 147,000 in June to almost 15.9 million:
In June the Australian workforce increased 147,000 to 15,887,000 driven by a significant increase in employment, up 208,000 to 14,233,000 while unemployment fell 61,000 to 1,654,000.
- Overall employment increased in June driven by a rise in full-time employment:
Australian employment increased 208,000 to 14,233,000 driven by a significant increase in full-time employment, up 229,000 to 9,211,000. However, part-time employment dropped 21,000 to 5,022,000.
- Unemployment decreased in June driven by people finding full-time work:
1,654,000 Australians were unemployed (10.4% of the workforce, down 0.5%), a decrease of 61,000 from May. The decrease in unemployment was driven by fewer people looking for both full-time work, down 18,000 to 548,000 and fewer people looking for part-time work, down 43,000 to 1,106,000.
- Overall unemployment and under-employment increased 0.3% to 20.3% in June:
In addition to the unemployed, a further 1.58 million Australians (9.9% of the workforce) were under-employed, i.e. working part-time but looking for more work, up 143,000 from May. In total 3.23 million Australians (20.3% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in June.
- Comparisons with three years ago, during the first full month of the Albanese Government (June 2022) show a rapidly increasing population and workforce driving employment growth:
The Australian population aged 14+ in June 2025 was estimated at 23,102,000 (up 1,845,000 from June 2022 – more than double the pre-pandemic average of 840,000 over an average three year period since 1999) and the workforce in June 2025 was 15,887,000 (up 1,396,000 from June 2022 – more than double the pre-pandemic average of 689,000) – comprised of 14,233,000 employed Australians (up 867,000) and 1,654,000 unemployed Australians (an increase of 529,000).
The June 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 – June 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 June show rising employment leading to a drop in unemployment (down 0.5% to 10.4%):
“The latest Roy Morgan employment estimates for June show total Australian unemployment or under-employment increasing by 82,000 to 3,233,000 (20.3% of the workforce, up 0.3%). There was a decrease in unemployment, down 61,000 to 1,654,000 (10.4%, down 0.5%), but under-employment increased by a significantly higher 143,000 to 1,579,000 (9.9%, up 0.8%).
“Driving the drop in unemployment was an increase in overall employment, up 208,000 to 14,233,000. This increase was driven by a rise in full-time employment, up 229,000 to 9,211,000 while part-time employment was little changed at 5,022,000 (down 21,000).
“The first full month of the re-elected Albanese Government shows a continuing issue of persistently high unemployment and under-employment at over 3 million – over 20% of the workforce. So far this year average total unemployment and under-employment has averaged 3.26 million (20.5%).
“The share of Australians aged 14+ now employed did increase in June, up 0.8% points to 61.6%. However, this share remains well below the average of 2022-2024: 62.9% when overall unemployment and under-employment was significantly lower.
“Clearly the high jobs growth of the last three years (up 867,000 since June 2022) has not kept pace with the even more rapidly rising population (up 1,845,000 – a record high figure over a three-year period) or the much larger workforce (up 1,396,000 since June 2022).
“The gap between the rising workforce and increasing employment levels is filled by more people joining the ranks of the unemployed – up a large 529,000 compared to three years ago.
“Tackling the persistently high level of labour under-utilisation presents a tremendous challenge for the re-elected Albanese Government which secured a record-breaking re-election victory in early May. The Government now has three years to return the Australian economy to sustainable growth and finding gainful employment for the over 3 million Australians either unemployed or under-employed.”
This Roy Morgan survey on Australia’s unemployment and ‘under-employed’* is based on weekly interviews of 961,343 Australians aged 14 and over between December 2008 and June 2025 and includes 7,028 telephone and online interviews in June 2025. *The ‘under-employed’ are those people who are in part-time work or freelancers who are looking for more work.
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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 |
