AUGUST 2026: JOB MARKET UPDATE
Job Ads Rise Across All Categories – Is the Picture Changing?
Each month, we review SEEK job ad volumes across key employment categories to track market movement.
In July, we reported a market that appeared to be settling into a more measured pattern. Five of the eight categories we tracked had declined from June, while most remained below their July 2025 advertising levels.
August has given us something different to consider.
Every one of the eight employment categories we track recorded an increase in advertised roles from July.
Across those categories, job advertisements increased from 45,622 to 49,344 — a rise of 8.2%.
That’s a notable monthly movement.
But after the mixed results we’ve seen during 2026, one stronger month isn’t enough to establish a new trend.
So, what does August add to the picture?
Month-on-Month – August 2026
August recorded increases across all eight key employment categories we track.
The largest percentage increase came from CEO / General Management, rising 23.3%, although this remains the smallest category by advertising volume.
The largest increase by number of advertisements came from Manufacturing & Transport, which recorded 1,874 more advertised roles than in July — an increase of 13.8%.
Accounting increased 8.5%, Sales 7.2% and Human Resources 5.7%, while Legal, Admin & Office Support and ICT also recorded increases.
Perhaps the most notable feature this month, however, isn’t any individual category.
It’s that all eight moved in the same direction.
Putting August Into Context
Looking at the past three monthly snapshots provides some useful perspective.
Across the eight categories, we recorded:
June: 46,250
July: 45,622 — down 1.4%
August: 49,344 — up 8.2%
August therefore sits approximately 6.7% above June.
That’s a different picture from the mixed movement we reported last month.
However, the year-on-year comparison adds some important context.
Despite the strong monthly increase, the combined August total remains approximately 1.9% below our July 2025 comparison.
Five categories remain below their July 2025 advertising levels, including Accounting, Admin & Office Support, Legal, Human Resources and ICT.
Three are now above: CEO / General Management, Sales and Manufacturing & Transport.
Manufacturing & Transport stands out at approximately 16.3% above July 2025, while Legal remains the furthest below last year’s level.
So while August’s monthly increase is broad, the longer-term picture continues to vary considerably between employment categories.
A Broader View of the Employment Market
Our SEEK figures provide one snapshot of advertised hiring activity. As we noted in July, looking at other established employment-market indicators can provide useful additional context.
The latest Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index recorded 205,400 online job advertisements nationally in June 2026, seasonally adjusted — an increase of 0.7% from May. This followed a decline in May.
More recent ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads data reported an increase of 0.8% in July, with advertisements 2.1% higher than July 2025.
There’s also an employer perspective worth noting.
Jobs and Skills Australia’s Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey reported that in June, 51% of employers surveyed were recruiting, 44% reported recruitment difficulty and 20% expected to increase staffing levels.
These measures cover different periods and use different methodologies, so they shouldn’t be directly compared with our SEEK figures.
What they do provide is another perspective on recruitment activity beyond a single job-ad snapshot.
What Stands Out This Month?
August represents a notable lift in the job-ad numbers we’re tracking.
All eight categories increased from July, and the combined total has moved above both our June and July snapshots.
At the same time, five of the eight categories remain below their July 2025 advertising levels.
So is the picture changing?
There has certainly been a change in the latest numbers.
What we don’t know yet is whether that movement will be sustained.
For that reason, rather than calling August the beginning of a new trend, we see it as a significant monthly movement worth watching.
September will provide the next piece of that picture.
What This Means for Employers
The overall increase is worth noting, but the differences between individual employment categories remain equally important.
An 8.2% overall increase doesn’t necessarily represent the particular talent market an organisation is recruiting into.
For employers, the August figures provide useful context around the level of advertised hiring activity, while reinforcing the importance of looking at the employment category relevant to the roles being recruited.
What This Means for Jobseekers
There were more advertised opportunities across all eight categories in our August snapshot than in July.
However, the longer-term picture remains varied. Some categories have moved above last year’s advertising levels, while others remain considerably lower.
For Jobseekers, activity within your particular employment category may therefore provide more useful context than the overall job-ad headline alone.
Looking Ahead
August has given us a meaningful movement to monitor.
We’ll take our next SEEK snapshot on 12 September, using the same categories and methodology, to see whether this broader increase continues or advertising levels change direction again.
We’ll also continue to consider wider employment-market data where it provides useful context.