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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · High income

Australia: the labour market

Labour force is 15.1m (2025), 43rd of 187 in the world and 11th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 66.5% (2025), 50th of 187 in the world and 11th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 62.5% (2025), 33rd of 187 in the world and 8th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force15.1m2025 · world 43/187 · region 11/29Participation rate66.5%2025 · world 50/187 · region 11/29Women's participation62.5%2025 · world 33/187 · region 8/29Employment rate63.8%2025 · world 43/187 · region 12/29
Labour force
Australia
05.0m10.0m15.0m20.0m1995200020052010201520202025Australia15.1m
Participation rate
AustraliaEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025Australia66.5%East Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Australia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total15.1m202543/18711/299.5m11.7m13.6m+20%since 20151.3bn734m3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+66.5%202550/18711/2963.3%65.5%65.0%+1.5 ppsince 201565.2%61.0%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+62.5%202533/1878/2954.6%58.7%60.1%+3.4 ppsince 201558.1%54.3%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)63.8%202543/18712/2959.3%62.1%60.9%+2.7 ppsince 201562.7%58.3%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)4.1%2025119/18711/296.3%5.2%6.4%−2.0 ppsince 20153.8%4.4%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)4.0%2025128/18710/296.1%5.4%6.3%−2.0 ppsince 20153.4%4.6%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)9.6%2025119/18714/2912.1%11.5%14.1%−3.5 ppsince 201512.5%11.5%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %8.4%2025148/17024/28·11.3%10.7%−1.4 ppsince 201515.3%10.6%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment83.9%202548/1877/2979.3%82.8%83.3%+0.5 ppsince 201561.0%88.9%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)9.1%2025156/18725/2912.5%10.6%9.6%−1.1 ppsince 201535.3%8.0%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment2.2%2025157/18722/295.4%3.5%2.8%−0.5 ppsince 201521.7%2.9%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment19.3%202588/18716/2922.1%21.7%19.2%−0.8 ppsince 201528.5%22.2%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment78.5%202525/1876/2972.5%74.8%78.0%+1.2 ppsince 201549.9%74.9%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

No rated indicator got worse over the decade.

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Australia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Australia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorAustraliaIndonesiaPapua New GuineaNew ZealandTimor-LesteSolomon Islands
Labour force15.1m2025147m20253.7m20253.1m2025635,4892025448,5022025
Participation rate66.5%202568.0%202552.1%202570.4%202567.0%202584.3%2025
Women's participation62.5%202553.7%202550.8%202566.1%202561.7%202582.3%2025
Employment rate63.8%202565.8%202550.7%202566.8%202565.9%202583.1%2025
Unemployment4.1%20253.2%20252.6%20255.1%20251.6%20251.4%2025
Female unemployment4.0%20253.0%20252.1%20255.3%20251.6%20251.4%2025
Youth unemployment9.6%202513.0%20253.8%202514.4%20253.7%20252.8%2025
Youth NEET rate8.4%202521.6%202327.7%202212.8%202429.1%20227.0%2013
Wage workers83.9%202546.7%202521.3%202581.6%202525.1%202530.1%2025
Indonesia: labourPapua New Guinea: labourNew Zealand: labourTimor-Leste: labourSolomon Islands: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: high-income countries86 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesAustralia: all key statisticscountry profile