Unemployment Rates - Split by Industry Sector
Australia’s headline unemployment rate hides enormous differences between industries. This Explainer compares all 19 industry unemployment rates and how they have changed since 2010.
Australia has one headline unemployment rate. But underneath it sit 19 very different industry labour markets.
In February 2026, the unemployment rate associated with accommodation and food services was 6.3 per cent, the highest of any industry. At the other end of the spectrum, financial and insurance services recorded just 1.3 per cent. Health care and social assistance was also low at 1.7 per cent, while public administration and safety was 1.8 per cent.
But an “industry unemployment rate” needs careful explanation.
An unemployed person does not technically have a current industry. Instead, the Australian Bureau of Statistics records the industry of their last job, provided they worked within the previous two years. The industry unemployment rate is then calculated as unemployed people whose last job was in that industry divided by those people plus everyone currently employed in the industry. People who have never worked, or last worked two or more years ago, are therefore excluded. The figures are also original rather than seasonally adjusted.
Looking over time produces an interesting result.
Comparing February 2010 with February 2026, unemployment rates fell in 17 of the 19 industries. The largest decline was in agriculture, forestry and fishing, from 4.2 to 1.9 per cent. Construction fell from 4.1 to 2.6 per cent and mining from 4.7 to 3.3 per cent.
Only information media and telecommunications and other services recorded higher rates.
Most striking is the persistence of hospitality. Accommodation and food services had the highest rate in 2010, at 6.9 per cent, and remains highest today.
One final qualification: the ABS has temporarily stopped publishing its separate Labour Account industry unemployment series while it reviews changes associated with modernisation of the Labour Force Survey. These figures therefore use the February 2026 Labour Force Detailed data, providing the latest clean industry comparison currently available.
| Industry | 2010 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & food services | 6.9% | 6.3% | −0.6 pp |
| Information media & telecommunications | 3.8% | 4.3% | +0.5 pp |
| Administrative & support services | 5.3% | 4.2% | −1.1 pp |
| Arts & recreation services | 4.7% | 3.9% | −0.8 pp |
| Retail trade | 4.9% | 3.6% | −1.3 pp |
| Manufacturing | 4.7% | 3.5% | −1.2 pp |
| Mining | 4.7% | 3.3% | −1.4 pp |
| Other services | 2.8% | 3.3% | +0.5 pp |
| Transport, postal & warehousing | 3.3% | 3.2% | −0.1 pp |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste | 3.5% | 3.1% | −0.4 pp |
| Professional, scientific & technical | 3.1% | 2.8% | −0.3 pp |
| Construction | 4.1% | 2.6% | −1.5 pp |
| Wholesale trade | 3.6% | 2.4% | −1.2 pp |
| Education & training | 3.0% | 2.3% | −0.7 pp |
| Rental, hiring & real estate | 3.4% | 2.3% | −1.1 pp |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 4.2% | 1.9% | −2.3 pp |
| Public administration & safety | 3.1% | 1.8% | −1.3 pp |
| Health care & social assistance | 1.9% | 1.7% | −0.2 pp |
| Financial & insurance services | 2.5% | 1.3% | −1.2 pp |
Source: ABS Labour Force, Australia, Detailed; Fair Work Commission Statistical Report — Annual Wage Review 2026. Benchmark Analytics calculations for February 2010 comparison.