---
title: "Australian Professional and Technical Vacancies Drop 17.3%…"
canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/australia-professional-technical-vacancies-29500-it-recruitment-slows-2026"
language: "en"
author: "drashtigarach"
published: "2026-10-06T13:02:28.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-06T13:40:52.497Z"
---

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# Australian Professional and Technical Vacancies Drop 17.3% to 29,500 as IT Recruitment Slows

Australian professional and technical vacancies fell 17.3% to 29,500 in the August quarter, and IT's recruitment rate was 32% in 2025-26. See where jobs remain.

[![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach)

[October 6, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/10)14 min read

![Sydney office towers over a sunlit plaza with commuters walking far away](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10473.jpg)

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Australia had [29,500 job vacancies in professional, scientific and technical services in August 2026](https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/recruitment/job-vacancies-fall-again-and-white-collar-roles-are-taking-the-hit/591880), after a [fall of 17.3% in the three months to August](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026), the second-largest drop of any industry in the latest [Australian Bureau of Statistics job vacancies release](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release). In the [IT part of that industry](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), only [32% of employers were recruiting in 2025-26, against 49% across all industries](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/changing-recruitment-trends-it-industry). This guide reads both sets of figures from the side of software developers, analysts, consultants, engineers and graduates looking for work in Australia. For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers, the useful part is the detail behind the headline, covering which vacancies fell, what IT employers say is holding them back, how crowded the applicant pool is and where openings are still rising, using the [Jobs and Skills Australia IT recruitment report](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf) and the official count.

## What Did the ABS Count in the Three Months to August?

Total job vacancies were [325,000 in August 2026, a decrease of 0.9% from May 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), in seasonally adjusted terms. That was a fall of [3,000 vacancies, following a decline of 2.2% in the previous three months](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026). Over the year, [job vacancies declined by 1.3%](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026). The figures were released on [1 October 2026 at 11:30am AEST](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).

The level of job vacancies is now [31.2% lower than the series peak in May 2022](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release). The private sector carried the fall, with [private sector vacancies at 286,300, a decrease of 2.0%](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), or [5,800 vacancies](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026).

Rises in customer facing roles, including in retail trade, [offset the fall somewhat](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026), ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said. The next release, covering November 2026, is due on [13 January 2027](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).

## How Far Did Professional, Scientific and Technical Vacancies Fall?

Only [wholesale trade had a larger quarterly percentage drop, at 18.0%, ahead of professional, scientific and technical services at 17.3%](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026). Industry figures are in [original terms, not seasonally adjusted](https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/recruitment/job-vacancies-fall-again-and-white-collar-roles-are-taking-the-hit/591880).

The count for professional, scientific and technical services has [moved like this over six quarters](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), in thousands.

- **May 2025.** The count stood at [38.4 thousand](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).
- **August 2025.** It was [34.3 thousand](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release) a year before the latest reading.
- **November 2025.** It was [33.6 thousand](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).
- **February 2026.** It rose to [36.2 thousand](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).
- **May 2026.** It was [35.7 thousand](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release) in the previous quarter.
- **August 2026.** It fell to [29.5 thousand](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), the lowest of the six quarters shown, from May 2025 to August 2026.

It still had the [fourth-highest number of vacancies of any industry](https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2026/tech-job-vacancies-plunge-15pc-in-a-year.html). Only [health care and social assistance (54.3 thousand), accommodation and food services (33.7 thousand) and retail trade (32.4 thousand)](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release) had more vacancies than professional, scientific and technical services. Information media and telecommunications had [3.0 thousand vacancies in August 2026, down from 3.6 thousand in May](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).

## Is Professional Services the Same Thing as Tech Work?

Not exactly. The IT industry is defined by Jobs and Skills Australia as [ANZSIC Subdivision 70 Computer System Design and Related Services, which sits within the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry division](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). The [rest of the division](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf) is other professional, scientific and technical services, so the [ABS vacancy count](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release) covers IT services together with other professional businesses, with no separate line for IT.

The IT industry [employed 376,100 workers in February 2026, around 2.5% of total employment in Australia](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). Its staff are not all programmers. [Around 48% of employment in this industry is ICT Professionals, followed by Specialist Managers at 13%, Business, Human Resource and Marketing Professionals at 10% and Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians at 9%](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

Tech workers also sit outside the IT industry. In the 2025 reference period, [40% of ICT Professionals were employed in the IT industry](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), and these workers are [employed across all industry divisions](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). A drop in one industry's vacancies is not the whole picture for an ICT professional's job search.

## How Many IT Employers Are Actually Recruiting?

In 2025-26, the [IT industry recruitment rate was 32%, compared with 41% for other professional, scientific and technical services industries and 49% for all industries](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). The recruitment rate is [the proportion of employers who were either currently recruiting at the time of the survey or had recruited in the month prior](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). The findings came out on [24 September 2026](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/changing-recruitment-trends-it-industry).

The rate [fell back to 32% in 2025-26, a level similar to that recorded in 2023-24 at 31%](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). On two-year rolling averages, it [declined from around 46% in the period 2021-22 to 2022-23, to around 37% in the period 2023-24 to 2025-26](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), although the limited time series means this pattern should be read with caution.

Hiring plans are soft too. Just [16% of IT employers expected to increase staffing in the following 3 months, the lowest level in recent years](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/changing-recruitment-trends-it-industry), below the [19% recorded for all industries](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). Two cautions apply. The IT sample is small, so the [findings should be interpreted in their broader labour market context and not in isolation](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). The survey also [targets employers with five or more employees and excludes many government organisations](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

## Why Are IT Employers Hiring Less?

Their biggest worry has changed. In 2025-26, [lack of demand for products or services was the most commonly reported concern, rising to 43%, up from 35% in 2024-25 and 8% in 2023-24](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). Over the same latest year, [the proportion citing recruitment or retention difficulties and skill shortages as their greatest concern fell sharply, from 22% to 3%](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

The contrast is wide. Only [3% of IT businesses nominated recruitment or retention difficulties, compared with 20% in other professional, scientific and technical services businesses](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), and weak demand was cited by [43% of IT businesses against 24% across all industries](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

The shift is [likely to have contributed to lower recruitment activity and weaker employment expectations, although the effect cannot be quantified](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/changing-recruitment-trends-it-industry). Put simply, [weak demand for what these firms sell now worries them far more than finding staff](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

> IT employers’ concerns have shifted in recent years, from recruitment and retention challenges to a lack of demand for products or services, according to [the Jobs and Skills Australia update](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/changing-recruitment-trends-it-industry).

## How Hard Is It to Win an IT Job?

Competition is stiff. Across 2020-21 to 2025-26, [around 34% of recruiting IT employers received 20 or more applicants per vacancy, the second-highest proportion among industry subdivisions analysed](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), behind [Other Goods Wholesaling at 37%](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). That figure needs care, since [around one-third of recruiting employers were unable to provide](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf) their applicant numbers.

Employers also find these roles [easier to fill than in many other industries](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). Over 2020-21 to 2025-26, [39% of recruiting employers in the IT industry had difficulty hiring staff, the second lowest recruitment difficulty rate of the 39 industry subdivisions analysed](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). Small IT firms find it harder than larger ones, with [46% of small IT businesses (less than 20 employees) experiencing recruitment difficulty, compared with 27% of larger businesses](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

When hiring does go badly, a lack of technical skills stands out. Employers hiring ICT Professionals were [far more likely to cite a lack of technical skills and considerably less likely to cite a lack of applicants as a reason for having recruitment difficulty](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), and lack of experience is also more likely to be cited. Multimedia Specialists and Web Developers, Software and Applications Programmers, and Computer Network Professionals were [not in shortage in 2025 due to labour market indicators suggesting weak demand, sufficient supply of workers, and low recruitment difficulty rates](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). For those occupations, applicants were judged unsuitable mainly for [a lack of experience and qualification and a lack of working rights](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

Online job advertisements for ICT Professionals were [at the lowest level recorded in the time series, at 5,960 in July 2026](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), and have been [trending down since the recent high recorded in April 2022 of 14,780](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

## Is Tech Employment Actually Shrinking?

Employment and vacancies are telling different stories. Over the year to February 2026, [employment in the IT industry grew by 5.2%, well above the average for all industries at 1.5%](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), and over five years it [increased by 29.5% (or 85,600 persons), compared with 14.8% for all industries](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). IT industry employment is [projected to increase by 54,200 (or 15.3%) in the five years to May 2030](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), according to Jobs and Skills Australia.

AI may be changing how ICT Professionals work, but there is no evidence of widespread slowing in their employment growth due to AI, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations AI and Employment in Australia report suggests, as cited in the [Jobs and Skills Australia IT report](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), and the same report is examined in [Australia Says AI Has Not Triggered Mass Layoffs Yet and the Data Backs It Up](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/australia-ai-no-mass-layoffs-2026). Employment in software development has grown by [25% since November 2022, reaching around 199,000 people](https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2026/tech-job-vacancies-plunge-15pc-in-a-year.html).

Wider counts of tech jobs use other definitions. Australia had [around 999,000 technology-related jobs in February 2026](https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2026/1-2m-tech-job-target-pulled-from-government-kpis.html), according to Department of Industry, Science and Resources documents released under freedom of information, and the department of Industry, Science and Resources estimated Australia will be [around 71,000 jobs below the 1.2 million target by 2030](https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2026/1-2m-tech-job-target-pulled-from-government-kpis.html), unless recent growth continues. The department has [ceased the tech jobs performance measure in its latest Corporate Plan](https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2026/1-2m-tech-job-target-pulled-from-government-kpis.html). The technology workforce [shrunk for the very first time in 2025, to around 967,000 workers](https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2026/australian-it-recruitment-falls--well-below--other-industries.html), on the Australian Computer Society's Digital Pulse measure.

## Where Are Job Vacancies Still Rising?

Government vacancies rose while private vacancies fell. [Public sector vacancies were 38,700, an increase of 7.8% from May 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), a rise of [2,800 vacancies](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026). Public sector vacancies in original terms [rose over the quarter in New South Wales by 12.3%, Victoria by 5.3%, Queensland by 5.7%, South Australia by 12.7% and Western Australia by 8.5%](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release). Public sector vacancies fell in Tasmania (9.2%), the Northern Territory (2.3%) and the ACT, where they were [down 21.7% over the quarter](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release).

Some industries grew as well. [Retail trade was up by 24.5%, followed by financial and insurance services, up by 14.1%](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026), and retail reached [32,400 vacancies](https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/recruitment/job-vacancies-fall-again-and-white-collar-roles-are-taking-the-hit/591880). Health care and social assistance [remained the largest source of open roles at 54,300, although this was down from 56,700 in May 2026](https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/recruitment/job-vacancies-fall-again-and-white-collar-roles-are-taking-the-hit/591880).

By state, the largest percentage rises were in [South Australia at 5.8% and Victoria at 1.4%](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026), and the [Australian Capital Territory had the largest decrease, down by 21.9%](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026).

> The decline in job vacancies was driven by the private sector, notably in business goods and services, ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said, according to [the ABS media release](https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/job-vacancies-fall-again-august-2026).

## How Do You Apply for an Australian Government Digital Role?

For recent graduates, one entry route is the [Digital Stream of the Australian Government Graduate Program](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream), managed by the [Australian Public Service Commission](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream). It is [full time employment for 12 months, with a salary of $68,000 to $89,000](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream) depending on placement agency, and [superannuation contributions of 15.4%](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream). [Applications will open 1 March 2027](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream), and there is a register for updates link on the program page.

To be eligible, you must [have completed an Australian Qualifications Framework Level 7 qualification (Bachelor degree), or higher in a digital technical field by 31 December 2026](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream). You must also meet [these conditions](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream).

- **Degree timing.** You must have [completed your degree between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2026](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream).
- **Citizenship.** You must [be an Australian citizen at the time of application](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream).
- **Checks.** You must be willing to undergo [police, character, health, or other checks as required](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream).
- **Clearance.** You must be able to [obtain and maintain a valid Australian Government security clearance when required](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream).

The process runs in stages. The [initial application takes approximately six weeks, assessments and interviews approximately two months](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream), and shortlisted candidates complete online aptitude tests, those who progress have a written pitch assessed, and successful candidates do a one-way online video interview. [Reference checks, matching to a department or agency and offers follow](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream). [Positions are available in Canberra, and a limited number of positions may be available nationwide in major cities](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream), with relocation assistance possible.

## What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

Our take is that this is a cooling market for private professional and IT hiring, not a collapse of tech work. Vacancies in the professional, scientific and technical group are at [29.5 thousand, the lowest of the six quarters shown in the ABS industry table, from May 2025 to August 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), and IT employers are more worried about clients than about staff, with [43% citing lack of demand](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf). Yet IT employment [grew by 5.2% over the year](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf) to February 2026.

Here is what we would do:

- **Lead with specific technical skills.** Employers hiring ICT Professionals are [far more likely than others to cite a lack of technical skills](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), so name your tools, platforms and results plainly, and use [How to List Technical Skills on an IT Resume](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/it-resume-technical-skills) as a checklist.
- **Look beyond IT firms.** Only [40% of ICT Professionals were employed in the IT industry](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), so search for tech roles in other industries too.
- **Watch the public sector.** Government vacancies [rose 7.8% to 38,700](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), and graduates can register for updates on the [Digital Stream, where applications will open 1 March 2027](https://content.apsjobs.gov.au/career-pathways/graduate-programs/digital-stream).
- **Expect a crowded field.** Across 2020-21 to 2025-26, around [34% of recruiting IT employers received 20 or more applicants per vacancy](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf), so tailor each application to the role rather than sending one CV everywhere.
- **Check the next count.** The November quarter figures are due on [13 January 2027](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), and that release will show whether the drop in professional vacancies continued.

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## People Also Asked

### Q: How many job vacancies are there in Australia right now?

A: Total job vacancies were [325,000 in August 2026, a decrease of 0.9% from May 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/jobs/job-vacancies-australia/latest-release), in seasonally adjusted terms, with the next count due in January.

### Q: Are Australian IT companies hiring in 2026?

A: Fewer are than in other industries, since the [IT industry recruitment rate was 32% in 2025-26, well below the all-industry average of 49%](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/changing-recruitment-trends-it-industry), and lack of demand for products or services was [their most cited concern in 2025-26](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/recruitment_trends_in_the_it_industry.pdf).

### Q: Which Australian industry has the most job vacancies?

A: Health care and social assistance [remained the largest source of open roles at 54,300](https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/recruitment/job-vacancies-fall-again-and-white-collar-roles-are-taking-the-hit/591880) in August 2026, although that was down from the May quarter.

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