Filled jobs hit nearly 16.2 million in March while multiple job-holding rate remains around record levels at 6.5%
Filled jobs in Australia went up to nearly 16.2 million in the March quarter of 2026, with multiple job-holders remaining at around record levels during the period, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.
The latest Labour Account Australia released by the ABS revealed that total jobs in the country went up to 16,529,000 in the March quarter, up 0.7% quarterly and two per cent annually.
Filled jobs, or roles currently occupied by workers, increased 0.6% quarterly to reach 16,185,000. This is a 1.9% increase from the same period last year.
Job vacancies also saw a quarterly increase of 5.2%, reaching 344,000 in the March 2026 quarter, equivalent to an annual increase of 4.1%.
Australia's multiple job-holders
Meanwhile, the number of employed people surpassed 15.1 million in the March quarter, up 0.7% quarterly and 1.8% annually.
The multiple job-holding rate sits at 6.5%, remaining around record levels between 6.4% and 6.7% since June 2022, according to ABS data.
Overall, there were 978,000 multiple job-holders in the country in March 2026. This is up 0.3% from the previous quarter and 2.1% from a year ago.
Employees who have main jobs in the Agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry reported the highest multiple job-holding rate in March, at 9.1%.
On the other hand, multiple job-holding was least common among people who have main jobs in Electricity, gas, water, and waste services (3.3%).
"It is important to note that some industries lend themselves to multiple job-holding," the ABS report read.
"For example, some workers in Agriculture, forestry, and fishing may work several seasonal jobs for different employers in addition to their main job; and some labour hire workers may work for a number of businesses in Administrative and support services."
Australians' working hours
When it comes to working hours, Australia saw a total of 6.1 billion hours actually worked in the March quarter, up 0.9% quarterly and 2.2% annually.
Single job-holders worked an average of 34.8 hours per week, according to the ABS.
Multiple job-holders worked a total of 39.3 hours per week on average, including 30 hours for their main job and 9.3 hours in their secondary job.
"Multiple job-holders were most likely to work part-time hours (less than 35 hours per week) in both their main and secondary job(s), followed by a combination of full-time and part-time hours. There were a small number of people who had two full-time jobs," the report added.
