Australia's Unemployment Rate Holds Steady at 4.1%

Australia’s unemployment rate has held steady at 4.1%, despite a big drop in employment last month.

New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that while 53,000 fewer people were employed in February, the number of unemployed also fell by 11,000—keeping the overall rate unchanged and largely in line with what economists had predicted.

So, what’s going on? According to Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, one key factor is that fewer older workers are returning to the workforce compared to previous years.

"Fewer older workers returning to work in February contributed to the fall in employment this month," Jarvis explained. "Last year, we saw a rise in employment among older age groups, but that trend has slowed in 2025."

On the flip side, younger workers (aged 15-54) are still seeing job growth, helping to balance things out.

Another important figure? The participation rate, which measures how many Australians are either working or actively looking for work. That dropped 0.4% to 66.8%—but even with that dip, it’s still at historically high levels.

"Despite the fall this month, the participation rate remains strong and is still slightly higher than this time last year," Jarvis added.

So, while the job market took a hit in February, the bigger picture still looks relatively stable—at least for now.