Employment & Wages•Series ID: M23.3.1599.20.AUS.M•1978–2026
Underemployment Rate - Historical Data
The underemployment rate captures spare labour market capacity not visible in the headline unemployment rate.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (Sep 2026)
6.3%
Prev (Aug 2026): 6.2%+0.1 pp
Highest Recorded (Apr 2020)
13.6%
COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor
Lowest Recorded (Mar 1978)
2.4%
Recorded in Mar 1978
Long-Run Mean (1978–2026)
6.1%
49 annual observations · Monthly
Underemployment Rate - Historical Series (1978–2026)
%Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1978–2026) and recent monthly releases.
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (M23.3.1599.20.AUS.M) Latest: 6.3 % (Sep 2026)
Underemployment Rate by Decade (1978–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1970s1978–1979
2.7%
High (1979):2.7%
Low (1978):2.6%
1980s1980–1989
3.5%
High (1987):4.0%
Low (1981):2.8%
1990s1990–1999
6.4%
High (1993):6.9%
Low (1990):4.5%
2000s2000–2009
6.6%
High (2009):7.5%
Low (2008):6.0%
2010s2010–2019
7.9%
High (2016):8.6%
Low (2011):6.9%
2020s2020–2026
7.1%
High (2020):10.5%
Low (2025):5.9%
Underemployment Rate - Historical Table (1978–2026)
Unit: % · Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (M23.3.1599.20.AUS.M)
| Year | Underemployment (%) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6.1% | 5.9% – 6.4% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 5.9% | 5.7% – 6.2% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 6.4% | 6.0% – 6.7% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | 6.4% | 5.9% – 6.6% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 6.2% | 5.9% – 6.6% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 8.1% | 6.7% – 9.3% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | 10.5% | 8.5% – 13.6% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 8.3% | 8.0% – 8.7% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 8.4% | 8.1% – 8.7% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 8.6% | 8.4% – 9.0% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 8.6% | 8.3% – 9.0% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 8.5% | 8.1% – 8.8% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 8.0% | 7.3% – 8.8% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 7.4% | 7.0% – 7.6% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 7.1% | 6.8% – 7.4% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 6.9% | 6.8% – 7.1% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 7.2% | 6.9% – 7.5% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 7.5% | 6.9% – 7.7% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 6.0% | 5.7% – 6.7% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 6.2% | 6.1% – 6.4% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 6.5% | 6.3% – 6.7% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 6.7% | 6.6% – 6.8% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 6.9% | 6.8% – 7.1% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 7.0% | 6.5% – 7.3% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 6.3% | 5.9% – 6.6% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 6.5% | 6.2% – 6.7% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 6.3% | 5.7% – 6.7% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 6.6% | 6.1% – 6.9% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 6.8% | 6.6% – 7.0% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 6.9% | 6.7% – 7.0% | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 6.6% | 6.4% – 6.8% | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | 6.5% | 6.3% – 6.7% | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | 6.5% | 5.9% – 6.7% | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | 6.9% | 6.6% – 7.2% | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | 6.8% | 6.4% – 7.2% | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | 5.9% | 5.2% – 6.3% | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 4.5% | 4.0% – 5.2% | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | 3.9% | 3.7% – 4.2% | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | 3.8% | 3.3% – 4.1% | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 4.0% | 3.8% – 4.2% | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | 3.6% | 3.3% – 3.9% | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | 3.3% | 3.1% – 3.5% | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | 3.5% | 3.2% – 3.7% | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | 3.8% | 3.4% – 4.2% | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | 3.3% | 2.9% – 4.1% | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | 2.8% | 2.7% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
| 1980 | 2.9% | 2.8% – 3.0% | The Australian Economy in 1980 → |
| 1979 | 2.7% | 2.5% – 2.9% | The Australian Economy in 1979 → |
| 1978 | 2.6% | 2.4% – 2.7% | The Australian Economy in 1978 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Labour Force - Underemployment Rate (Proportion of Labour Force)
- Series / Table ID:
- ABS Dataflow LF_UNDER (M23.3.1599.20.AUS.M)
- Release Frequency:
- Monthly
• Primary source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Labour Force - Underemployment Rate (Proportion of Labour Force) (ABS Dataflow LF_UNDER).
• Observation frequency: Monthly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1978 to 2026 (49 annual observations).
APA Citation:Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Labour Force - Underemployment Rate (Proportion of Labour Force) (Dataflow LF_UNDER: M23.3.1599.20.AUS.M). Retrieved October 2026 from https://data.api.abs.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions: Underemployment Rate
- What is the current Underemployment Rate?
- As of Sep 2026, the latest recorded Underemployment Rate is 6.3 (%), compared with 6.2 in Aug 2026.
- What is the highest and lowest Underemployment Rate ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1978–2026), the highest observation was 13.6 (%) in Apr 2020, while the lowest was 2.4 (%) in Mar 1978. The long-run historical average is 6.1.
- Where is the official Underemployment Rate data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Labour Force - Underemployment Rate (Proportion of Labour Force), Series ID: M23.3.1599.20.AUS.M) and is updated on a monthly basis under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).