Jobs in the Australian Capital Territory

Online job ads and the labour force in the Australian Capital Territory, from the latest official releases. Data to September 2026.

Online job ads, September 2026

4,660

down 5.3% on a year earlier Falling

Unemployment rate, September 2026

4.2%

up 0.1 points on a year earlier Steady

Employed people, September 2026

276,000

up 0.8% on a year earlier

Job ads seasonally adjusted. Labour force trend: the ABS publishes no seasonally adjusted series for the territories in its state table.

In plain English

In September 2026 there were 4,660 new online job ads in the Australian Capital Territory, seasonally adjusted.
Compared with September 2025, ads were down 5.3%, so by our rule they are falling over the year.
Over the month, ads rose (up 5.2% on August 2026).
Compared with the 2019 monthly average of 5,780, ads were down 19.3%.
The unemployment rate was 4.2% in September 2026 (trend), up less than 0.1 points on August 2026 and up 0.1 points on a year earlier: steady by our rule.
Employment grew over the year (up 0.8%), to 276,000 people. The participation rate was 71.5%.
Professionals had the most ads (1,780, 38.1% of the total).
Among detailed groups with at least 200 ads in both months, ads rose most over the year for Medical Practitioners and Nurses (up 24.0%).
They fell most for General-Inquiry Clerks, Call Centre Workers, and Receptionists (down 21.3%).

The words follow fixed rules from the numbers: see the methodology.

Online job ads, the past five years

Unemployment rate, the past five years

Job ads by occupation group

The eight major groups, seasonally adjusted.

Online job ads by major occupation group, the Australian Capital Territory, seasonally adjusted
Occupation group	Ads, September 2026	On the month	On the year	Direction
Managers	650	up 0.1%	down 2.2%	Steady
Professionals	1,780	up 6.5%	down 2.9%	Steady
Technicians and Trades Workers	450	up 3.1%	down 1.1%	Steady
Community and Personal Service Workers	410	up 0.1%	down 9.6%	Falling
Clerical and Administrative Workers	620	down 5.7%	down 16.2%	Falling
Sales Workers	310	up 3.3%	down 1.2%	Steady
Machinery Operators and Drivers	120	down 9.4%	up 2.9%	Steady
Labourers	200	up 7.9%	down 7.0%	Falling
All occupations	4,660	up 5.2%	down 5.3%	Falling

All detailed occupation groups

Online job ads by detailed occupation group, the Australian Capital Territory, seasonally adjusted
Occupation group	Ads, September 2026	On the month	On the year	Direction
Chief Executives, Managing Directors & Legislators	34	up 51.1%	up 20.3%	Too few to call
Farmers and Farm Managers	4	up 91.8%	up 6396.3%	Too few to call
Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers	180	up 4.6%	down 1.1%	Steady
Corporate Managers	210	down 1.9%	down 11.0%	Falling
Construction, Production and Distribution Managers	160	down 0.7%	up 2.2%	Steady
Health, Education, ICT and Other Managers	73	down 2.1%	down 2.4%	Steady
Arts and Media Professionals	65	up 3.2%	up 16.3%	Rising
Education Professionals	78	up 4.1%	up 11.1%	Rising
ICT Professionals	500	up 13.3%	down 7.1%	Falling
Legal, Social and Welfare Professionals	190	up 3.6%	down 20.5%	Falling
Business, Finance and Human Resource Professionals	180	up 0.8%	down 18.9%	Falling
Information Professionals	92	up 8.7%	down 19.5%	Falling
Sales, Marketing & Public Relations Professionals	60	up 4.8%	down 5.5%	Falling
Transport and Design Professionals, and Architects	85	up 12.0%	up 60.7%	Rising
Engineers	65	up 10.9%	up 13.5%	Rising
Science Professionals and Veterinarians	27	up 60.8%	down 14.0%	Too few to call
Health Diagnostic and Therapy Professionals	160	down 2.4%	down 3.0%	Steady
Medical Practitioners and Nurses	300	up 28.4%	up 24.0%	Rising
Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians	93	up 1.6%	down 3.8%	Steady
Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers	70	up 44.0%	up 0.2%	Steady
Construction Trades Workers	68	down 0.4%	up 34.4%	Rising
Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers	61	up 11.3%	up 10.5%	Rising
Food Trades Workers	81	down 3.9%	down 2.6%	Steady
Skilled Animal and Horticultural Workers	31	down 3.3%	down 3.4%	Too few to call
Hairdressers, Printing, Clothing and Wood Trades Workers	16	down 21.5%	down 31.9%	Too few to call
Jewellers, Arts and Other Trades Workers	28	up 1.0%	down 36.0%	Too few to call
Health and Welfare Support Workers	42	up 4.2%	down 12.8%	Too few to call
Carers and Aides	170	down 8.1%	down 14.1%	Falling
Hospitality Workers	68	down 23.4%	down 8.7%	Falling
Protective Service Workers	71	up 4.1%	down 4.3%	Steady
Sports, Travel and Personal Service Workers	56	up 31.0%	down 6.9%	Falling
Numerical Clerks	100	down 0.1%	up 22.2%	Rising
Clerical and Office Support Workers	11	up 26.2%	down 14.7%	Too few to call
Other Clerical and Administrative Workers	90	up 1.1%	down 21.6%	Falling
Office Managers, Administrators and Secretaries	130	up 14.9%	down 22.1%	Falling
General-Inquiry Clerks, Call Centre Workers, and Receptionists	290	down 11.9%	down 21.3%	Falling
Sales Representatives and Agents	83	up 7.7%	up 22.1%	Rising
Sales Assistants and Salespersons	190	up 4.1%	down 12.1%	Falling
Sales Support Workers	36	down 5.3%	up 39.5%	Too few to call
Machine and Stationary Plant Operators	14	up 19.5%	up 10.5%	Too few to call
Mobile Plant Operators	24	down 8.9%	up 10.0%	Too few to call
Drivers and Storepersons	89	down 9.9%	down 0.1%	Steady
Cleaners and Laundry Workers	53	up 25.2%	up 25.4%	Too few to call
Construction and Mining Labourers	20	up 10.2%	up 1.0%	Too few to call
Factory Process Workers	42	up 135.9%	down 39.4%	Too few to call
Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers	10	down 37.3%	up 9.1%	Too few to call
Food Preparation Assistants	14	down 39.4%	up 36.8%	Too few to call
Other Labourers	69	down 2.9%	up 0.8%	Steady

Regions in the Australian Capital Territory

Jobs and Skills Australia's job ad regions, as three-month averages.

Online job ads by region, the Australian Capital Territory, three-month average
Region	Ads, three months to September 2026	On the year	Direction
Canberra & ACT	4,760	down 5.5%	Falling

By skill level

The level of education or experience the advertised job usually needs, as classified by the ABS.

Online job ads by skill level, the Australian Capital Territory, seasonally adjusted
Skill level the job usually needs	Ads, September 2026	On the month	On the year	Direction
Skill level 1: bachelor degree or higher	2,230	up 4.6%	down 2.9%	Steady
Skill level 2: advanced diploma or diploma	520	up 4.3%	down 9.4%	Falling
Skill level 3: certificate IV, or certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training	490	up 1.7%	down 0.5%	Steady
Skill level 4: certificate II or III	910	down 3.8%	down 12.7%	Falling
Skill level 5: certificate I or secondary education	390	down less than 0.1%	down 1.0%	Steady

Month by month

The past thirteen months, the Australian Capital Territory: job ads seasonally adjusted, labour force trend
Month	Online job ads	Unemployment rate	Employed people
September 2025	4,930	4.1%	273,800
October 2025	4,410	4.2%	273,700
November 2025	4,390	4.2%	273,900
December 2025	4,740	4.2%	274,400
January 2026	4,670	4.2%	275,200
February 2026	4,440	4.1%	276,200
March 2026	4,540	4.1%	277,100
April 2026	4,350	4.1%	277,500
May 2026	4,280	4.1%	277,500
June 2026	4,510	4.1%	277,000
July 2026	4,440	4.1%	276,400
August 2026	4,430	4.2%	276,100
September 2026	4,660	4.2%	276,000

What this means

General notes on reading job ads in the Australian Capital Territory, chosen by the direction of job ads over the year. They are not advice about your situation.

For job seekers

Fewer ads usually means more competition for each opening. It can help to widen the search: related occupation groups, nearby regions, and employers who fill roles without advertising online.

For students

A fall in ads now is not a forecast either. Markets move in cycles, and a course finishes later. Look at the longer five-year picture here and at Jobs and Skills Australia's employment projections (opens another site) before deciding anything.

For employers

Fewer competing ads may mean more applicants for each one you place. It may also reflect slower hiring in your field, so check the trend in your own occupation group, not only the total.

Job ads are not all jobs: many roles are filled without an online ad. See the limits of the data.

Get the monthly briefing

The headline numbers for Australia and each state, once a month when new data is out.

Sources and licences

Online job ads: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index (opens another site), September 2026 data, released 21 October 2026. © Commonwealth of Australia, used under CC BY 4.0 (opens another site). Figures rounded; changes, shares and descriptions by Career Calling Insights.

Labour force: Australian Bureau of Statistics (September 2026) 'Table 001. Labour force status by Sex, Australia - Trend, Seasonally adjusted and Original' and 'Table 010. Labour force status by Sex, State and Territory - Trend, Seasonally adjusted and Original' [time series spreadsheets], Labour Force, Australia (opens another site), released 15 October 2026, accessed 8 November 2026. Used under CC BY 4.0 (opens another site). Figures rounded; changes and descriptions by Career Calling Insights.

Neither publisher endorses this site. How the numbers are turned into words: methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.