Australia's Job Market Soars: Unexpected Surge in April

In April 2025, the Australian labor market was given a huge boost as there was a surprise additional 89,000 jobs above the expected 20,000. The number of employed workers increased to an all-time high of 14.64 million. The unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, as predicted, and the participation rate rose to 67.1%. The employment-population ratio grew to 64.4%, falling below January's record.

The increases in employment were wide-ranging, with full-time employment up by 59,500 to a record 10.07 million, the biggest one-month increase since February 2024. Even part-time employment increased by 29,500 to a record 4.57 million. The hiring of women was one of the principal reasons for the growth, with 65,000 women entering work compared with 24,000 men. This firm expansion is the third consecutive month of job growth, a reversal from previous trends of slowing employment growth and declining participation.

This robust labor market information previews the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) interest rate move, reinforcing the economy's strength. Though April's growth is breathtaking, some have cautioned that this is a temporary phenomenon and perhaps this can be accounted for by the Federal election campaign. Annual employment growth outpaced population growth, recording a strong labor market recovery, again buttressed by wage growth outperforming inflation