Employment in Australia dropped by 15,800 to 14.81 million in July 2026, shifting from an upwardly revised 80,300 jump in the previous month and missing market expectations for a 15,000 gain. It marked the first monthly decline since April, driven by a 32,200 decline in part-time employment to a three-month low of 4.60 million. Meanwhile, full-time employment rose by 16,300 to a new peak of 10.21 million. The employment-to-population ratio fell to 63.9% from 64.1%, marking the first drop in three months. The participation rate slipped to 66.9% from 67.1%. Compared with a year earlier, total employment was up by 191,900, or 1.3%.