Employment in Australia rose by 40,300 to 14.74 million in May 2026, rebounding from a revised decline of 40,700 in the previous month and surpassing market expectations for a 30,000 increase. It marked the strongest employment gain since December, driven by a 35,200 rise in part-time jobs to 4.60 million, while full-time employment also increased by 5,200 to 10.14 million. The employment-to-population ratio edged up to 63.8% from 63.7%, marking its first increase in six months. Meanwhile, the participation rate ticked up to 66.7% from 66.6%. Compared with a year earlier, total employment increased by 147,500, or 1.0%.