HR manager positions recorded a decline in annual employment growth, new data reveals
Roles within the human resources field experienced mixed employment trends over the past year, a new government report shows, with HR managers recording a decline in job growth.
Jobs and Skills Australia's Occupation and Industry Profiles has revealed that the HR manager position recorded a decline of 800 roles over the last year to November.
The position employs 91,700 people, with women making up 60% of the workforce and 11% work less than 35 hours a week.
The median age for HR managers is 43 years old, while their median earnings are $2,946 a week, according to the report.
Despite the drop in employment for HR managers, Australia recorded job growth in HR Professional and HR Clerk roles.
HR Professionals added 300 jobs in the last year, totalling 85,800 people employed with the job title. Among them, 71% are women and 17% are part-time employees.
The median age for HR Professionals is 38 years old, with their median earnings being $1,870 a week.
For HR clerks, annual employment growth reached 500 in the last year, with 23,200 people employed in the position. The female share of HR clerks is 74%, while 19% of the workforce is part-time employees.
The median age for HR clerks is 39 years old, while median weekly earnings are $1,472.
'The Great Flattening' in HR
JSA's report described the HR manager role as individuals who plan, organise, direct, control, and coordinate the HR and workplace relations activities within organisations.
But the employment decline in HR managers comes in the wake of "The Great Flattening" in workplaces, where middle management layers in workplaces are being eliminated for a variety of reasons.
Data from Revelio Labs revealed that employers were posting 42% fewer middle-management jobs by October 2025 and middle-manager hiring had dropped by 43%.
A 2025 Korn Ferry Workforce survey also found that 41% of employees belonged to firms that had cut management layers.
The elimination of middle management positions may be due to various factors.
Previous research indicates that some firms are opting for less hierarchy in workplaces for increased agility and efficiency, while others are cutting labour costs in their organisations.
Experts have warned that the disappearance of middle managers could weaken the connection between senior leadership and the rest of the workforce, impacting workplace communication, trust, and engagement.
But other experts say the reduction of middle managers can be an advantage for employee development, as this gives employees greater access to experienced leaders and grants them more autonomy at work.
