New additions to ABS survey reveal impact of AI on the labour market
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has yet to make an impact on Australia's job vacancies, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The ABS added new questions to the latest quarterly Job Vacancies Survey in response to growing interest in AI tools and how they are impacting the country's labour market.
"About 82% of businesses reported that AI did not impact the level of job vacancies in August 2026," said Sean Crick, ABS head of labour statistics, in a statement.
"Four per cent of businesses reported that AI had reduced the number of job vacancies in August, while less than one per cent reported that AI had led to an increase in vacancies in their business."
The information media and telecommunications sector logged the biggest decrease in job vacancies due to AI, with 16%. This was followed by the wholesale trade (8.1%) and the manufacturing (6.1%) sectors.
By contrast, the biggest increase in job vacancies due to AI was recorded in the electricity, gas, water and waste services sector after posting a 16% increase.
AI's concerning impact on jobs
The findings come in the wake of widespread concerns that AI will reduce job opportunities for many jobseekers, particularly in entry-level roles.
The Productivity Commission predicted in a 2025 report that AI will increase the demand for some workers in some professions and decrease it for others.
"Inevitably, this will involve both painful transitions for workers whose roles are made redundant and positive changes from new opportunities," the report read.
But the latest ABS findings signal that most employers are not anticipating the impact of AI on their workforce anytime soon.
"About two-thirds of businesses said that they did not expect AI to impact their job vacancies over the next 12 months," Crick said.
"About eight per cent of businesses expected that AI will lead to a decrease in job vacancies and one per cent expected it would lead to an increase."
Job vacancies in Australia
Overall, total job vacancies across the country were down 0.9%from May 2026, logging a total of 325,000 in August.
Vacancies in the private sector fell to 286,300, down by two per cent, while the public sector saw a 7.8% increase to 38,700.
By location, the Australian Capital Territory logged the biggest quarterly drop in job vacancies at -21.9 per cent. This was followed by the Northern Territory (-8.0) and Tasmania (7.9%).
