2026.02.0200:52:08UTC+00Australia Job Ads Bounce Back in December

In December 2025, ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads experienced a significant 4.4% increase compared to the previous month, strongly recovering from a revised 0.8% decrease observed in November. This marks the first uptick since July and represents the most robust monthly growth since February 2022. The surge reflects a renewed boost in hiring demand as the year concludes. This upswing is likely due to seasonal recruitment in anticipation of the holidays, alleviating anxiety about an economic slowdown, and ongoing strength in consumer-oriented sectors. Notably, the gains were most pronounced in industries like retail, customer service, and food services, which typically require additional staff towards the end of the year. Despite a 3.2% annual decline in job advertisements, the figures remain 11.8% higher than pre-pandemic levels, highlighting a persistently tight labor market even as it moderates from earlier highs.