Black Friday sales have translated directly into jobs, with casual hours jumping 7.2% in a month
What’s happening: Australia’s workforce is expanding as peak season spending fuels hiring across retail, hospitality and seasonal sectors.
Why this matters: Businesses are adding hours and staff despite inflation and stagnant interest rates, suggesting stronger-than-expected momentum for 2026.
Australia’s labour market has found its spark, and it’s coming from checkout counters, restaurant floors and distribution centres across the country.
National employment climbed 6.4% year-on-year in November, according to Employment Hero’s latest Jobs Report, which analyses real-time payroll data from over 1.5 million workers. The monthly gain of 0.9% and quarterly rise of 3.7% mark a sharp reversal from the cautious hiring patterns that defined much of 2025.
The catalyst is Black Friday sales and early holiday shopping that translated directly into jobs and hours.
“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.”
Young workers surge ahead
Teenagers and young adults are capturing the majority of new opportunities. Employment for 14 to 17-year-olds jumped 23.6% year-on-year and 3.9% month-on-month, the strongest growth of any demographic group tracked in the report.
Workers aged 18 to 24 saw employment rise 15.6% year-on-year and 2.0% month-on-month. Hours worked by teens surged 37.9% year-on-year, while the 18 to 24 cohort recorded the biggest monthly lift at 3.4%.
The gains reflect retailers and hospitality operators leaning heavily on younger, flexible workers to meet peak season demand without committing to permanent headcount expansion.
Casuals drive demand
Casual employment rose 9.4% year-on-year and 1.2% month-on-month, with casual hours jumping 7.2% in November alone. Average hours for casual workers reached 87 per month.
“Casuals carried much of the load this month. It’s a strong sign of confidence heading into Christmas and Boxing Day trading,” Thompson said. “I’m pleased to see the labour market remains more buoyant than anticipated.”
Retail and hospitality employment increased 7.1% year-on-year and 1.7% month-on-month, with hours worked in those sectors climbing 3.6% year-on-year and 1.7% month-on-month.
Beyond shopfloors, other sectors are expanding. Engineering roles rose 21.2% year-on-year, administration and office support climbed 18%, and construction and trade positions increased 8.3%. Banking, finance and insurance employment grew 9.1% year-on-year.
Regional hiring accelerates
Western Australia and Queensland continue to lead annual employment growth at 6.8% and 5.9% respectively. New South Wales recorded the largest monthly increase at 1.2% as holiday hiring accelerated.
Brisbane posted 7.2% year-on-year job growth and a 2.7% monthly jump in hours worked. The Gold Coast saw hours increase 5.7% year-on-year and 1.6% month-on-month.
Hours worked nationally climbed 1.3% month-on-month and 1.2% year-on-year, reversing months of softening.
Median wages sit at $45.20, up 4.9% year-on-year and 0.7% quarter-on-quarter, though down 0.1% month-on-month. South Australia and Western Australia recorded some of the strongest annual wage growth, while small monthly dips across several states reflect employers managing cost pressures heading into year-end.
Thompson said the November data signals a meaningful shift in labour market confidence despite persistent economic headwinds.
“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.”
The question now is whether peak season hiring translates into sustained employment gains, or whether retailers will scale back hours once Boxing Day sales conclude and summer trading normalises.
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