Employment & Wages•Series ID: GLFSEPTSYP•1979–2026
Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth - Historical Data
Measures the annual pace of job creation across full-time and part-time employment in the Australian economy.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (Sep 2026)
1.2%
Prev (Aug 2026): 1.5%-0.3 pp
Highest Recorded (May 2021)
8.2%
Recorded in May 2021
Lowest Recorded (May 2020)
-5.8%
COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor
Long-Run Mean (1979–2026)
1.9%
48 annual observations · Monthly
Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth - Historical Series (1979–2026)
% p.a.Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1979–2026) and recent monthly releases.
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Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GLFSEPTSYP) Latest: 1.2 % p.a. (Sep 2026)
Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth by Decade (1979–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1970s1979–1979
1.3%
High (1979):1.3%
Low (1979):1.3%
1980s1980–1989
2.4%
High (1989):4.4%
Low (1983):-1.8%
1990s1990–1999
1.2%
High (1995):3.7%
Low (1991):-2.4%
2000s2000–2009
2.2%
High (2005):3.4%
Low (2009):0.7%
2010s2010–2019
1.7%
High (2018):2.6%
Low (2014):0.6%
2020s2020–2026
2.1%
High (2022):4.5%
Low (2020):-1.8%
Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth - Historical Table (1979–2026)
Unit: % p.a. · Source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (GLFSEPTSYP)
| Year | Employment Growth (% p.a.) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.3% | 0.6% – 1.7% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 1.6% | 1.0% – 2.8% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 2.3% | 1.9% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | 3.4% | 2.7% – 4.0% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 4.5% | 3.4% – 7.3% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 3.1% | -0.7% – 8.2% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | -1.8% | -5.8% – 1.7% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 2.3% | 1.8% – 2.7% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 2.6% | 2.2% – 3.4% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 2.1% | 0.7% – 3.2% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 1.7% | 0.8% – 2.6% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 2.0% | 1.3% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -0.1% – 1.6% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 0.9% | 0.2% – 1.7% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 1.2% | 0.9% – 1.7% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 1.7% | 0.6% – 2.7% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 2.0% | 1.1% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 0.7% | 0.0% – 1.7% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 2.8% | 2.0% – 3.3% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 3.1% | 2.8% – 3.3% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 2.5% | 1.9% – 3.3% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 3.4% | 2.7% – 4.3% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 1.8% | 0.6% – 2.7% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 2.3% | 1.4% – 3.3% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 1.9% | 1.2% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 1.3% | 0.4% – 2.5% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 2.6% | 1.7% – 3.6% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 1.8% | 1.5% – 2.3% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 1.8% | 1.3% – 2.4% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 0.8% | 0.3% – 1.8% | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 1.4% | 0.2% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | 3.7% | 3.0% – 4.5% | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | 3.2% | 1.5% – 4.2% | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -0.9% – 2.1% | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | -0.5% | -1.5% – 0.4% | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | -2.4% | -3.4% – -1.1% | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 1.8% | -0.4% – 3.8% | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | 4.4% | 3.5% – 5.0% | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | 3.8% | 2.9% – 4.6% | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 2.2% | 1.6% – 3.0% | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | 4.1% | 2.2% – 5.4% | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | 3.2% | 2.4% – 4.7% | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | 3.1% | 1.3% – 3.7% | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | -1.8% | -3.5% – 1.3% | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | 0.0% | -2.1% – 1.8% | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | 2.0% | 1.2% – 2.5% | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
| 1980 | 2.9% | 2.4% – 3.4% | The Australian Economy in 1980 → |
| 1979 | 1.3% | 0.6% – 2.5% | The Australian Economy in 1979 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Australian Unemployment RateEmployment & Wages · 1950–2026
4.7%Sep 2026
Labour Force Participation RateEmployment & Wages · 1978–2026
66.8%Sep 2026
Full-Time Employed PersonsEmployment & Wages · 1978–2026
10,232.4kSep 2026
Australian Job VacanciesEmployment & Wages · 1979–2026
325.0k31 Aug 2026
Compare Employment Growth against another indicator →
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Employed Persons - Year-Ended Percentage Change
- Series / Table ID:
- RBA Statistical Table H5 (GLFSEPTSYP)
- Release Frequency:
- Monthly
• Primary source: Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Employed Persons - Year-Ended Percentage Change (RBA Statistical Table H5).
• Observation frequency: Monthly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1979 to 2026 (48 annual observations).
APA Citation:Reserve Bank of Australia & Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Employed Persons - Year-Ended Percentage Change (H5: GLFSEPTSYP). Retrieved October 2026 from https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/tables/
Frequently Asked Questions: Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth
- What is the current Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth?
- As of Sep 2026, the latest recorded Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth is 1.2 (% p.a.), compared with 1.5 in Aug 2026.
- What is the highest and lowest Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1979–2026), the highest observation was 8.2 (% p.a.) in May 2021, while the lowest was -5.8 (% p.a.) in May 2020. The long-run historical average is 1.9.
- Where is the official Total Employed Persons & Employment Growth data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Employed Persons - Year-Ended Percentage Change, Series ID: GLFSEPTSYP) and is updated on a monthly basis under CC BY 4.0 International / RBA Terms.