Peak season powers a nationwide workforce rebound

Sydney, 11 December 2025 – Australia’s workforce is reigniting as peak season spending injects energy back into the labour market. Employment Hero, the global leader in workforce management solutions, November Jobs Report, shows employment, hours and wages all lifting into summer, despite economic pressures. The report is based on real time payroll insights from over 1.5 million workers.

National employment is up 6.4% year-on-year, 3.7% quarter-on-quarter and 0.9% month-on-month, with the sharpest momentum coming from young workers, casuals and retail and hospitality employers. The upswing comes as inflation edges higher and interest rates remain on pause, yet consumers opened their wallets during Black Friday and early holiday sales.

“Peak season has lit a spark that the labour market needed,” said Ben Thompson, Co-Founder and CEO of Employment Hero. “After a long stretch of caution, businesses are hiring again and giving staff more hours. Shoppers showed up in force for early Black Friday sales, and that spending has flowed straight into jobs, particularly for young Australians and casual workers.”

Hours worked, which had softened in recent months, also climbed 1.3% month-on-month and 1.2% year-on-year, driven by retail, hospitality and seasonal roles. Casual hours rose even faster, up 7.2% month-on-month, as employers leaned heavily on flexible labour to meet the surge in demand.

“Casuals carried much of the load this month. It’s a strong sign of confidence heading into Christmas and Boxing Day trading,” Thompson added. “I’m pleased to see the labour market remains more buoyant than what  anticipated”. 

Key insights:

Wages remain higher over the year despite November softness

• Median wage sits at $45.20, up 4.9% YoY and 0.7% QoQ, but down 0.1% MoM.
• SA and WA record some of the strongest annual wage growth.
• Small monthly dips across several states reflect employers managing cost pressures heading into year-end.

Young workers lead the rebound

• Employment for 14–17-year-olds is up 23.6% YoY and 3.9% MoM, the strongest growth of any group.
• 18–24-year-olds up 15.6% YoY and 2.0% MoM.
• Hours worked by teens are surging, up 37.9% YoY, while 18–24-year-olds recorded the biggest monthly lift (3.4% MoM).

Casuals carry the peak-season surge

• Casual headcount up 9.4% YoY and 1.2% MoM.
• Casual hours jumped 7.2% MoM, lifting average hours to 87 per month.
• Retail & Hospitality employment up 7.1% YoY and 1.7% MoM, with hours up 3.6% YoY and 1.7% MoM.

States and cities show strong pre-Christmas lift

• WA and Queensland remain the strongest annual performers (6.8% YoY and 5.9% YoY).
• NSW recorded the biggest monthly rise (1.2% MoM) as holiday hiring kicked in.
• Brisbane leads major cities with 7.2% YoY job growth and a 2.7% MoM jump in hours.
• The Gold Coast recorded a 5.7% YoY increase in hours and 1.6% MoM lift.

Engineering, admin and construction lead hiring surge

• Engineering roles up 21.2% YoY.
• Administration & Office Support up 18% YoY.
• Construction & Trade up 8.3% YoY; Banking, Finance & Insurance up 9.1% YoY.

Thompson said the November data signals a meaningful shift in labour-market confidence.

“Households are still under pressure, but people are spending where it counts. Businesses are responding with more roles and more hours. If this momentum holds through December, we’ll head into 2026 with a stronger foundation than expected.”

For the more details on the Jobs Report, visit Employment Hero Jobs Reports.