Australia’s unemployment and under-employment figures for November 2025 paint a picture of a labor market that’s struggling to truly hit its stride. The good news? Full-time employment has increased significantly. But the bad news? We’re still looking at over 3 million Australians who are either unemployed or under-employed. For the 12th month in a row, this figure has remained stubbornly above 3 million, which is starting to raise some eyebrows.
So, What’s Happening with Unemployment?
Unemployment in Australia, as of November 2025, stands at 10.2%, with 1.63 million Australians out of work. It hasn’t shifted much from the previous month, and while it’s not catastrophic, it’s far from ideal. What’s concerning is the number of people who are technically employed but aren’t getting enough hours—this is the under-employed group, which rose by 63,000 people in November, bringing the total number of under-employed Australians to 1.71 million, details Roymorgan.
This means a lot of people are working part-time but would prefer more hours, a situation that’s become all too common. So, while Australia is seeing a slight increase in employment, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. More people are employed, but they might not be getting the hours they want or need. This situation paints a slightly more frustrating picture of the economy, one where growth feels a bit uneven.
Full-Time Jobs Are Looking Better
On a more positive note, full-time employment saw a solid increase of 210,000 people in November. This is a good sign, showing that some sectors are finding their feet and that more Australians are landing steady jobs. But, and this is a big but—part-time employment took a hit. Part-time jobs fell by 91,000 in November, making you wonder if part-time workers are struggling to find full-time opportunities or if businesses are adjusting their workforce strategies.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Looking at the bigger picture, the total number of people employed in Australia is up by 119,000, with the workforce size now sitting at 15.97 million. That’s a decent increase, but the number of unemployed and under-employed individuals (now 3.34 million in total) still looms large, highlighting the underlying challenges in the job market.
The labor market is in this tricky phase where things are getting better in some areas (hello, full-time job growth) but stagnating or even regressing in others. If we really want to turn the tide, we’ll need to focus on creating stable, full-time job opportunities for everyone, not just those in certain sectors.
