Job ads are recovering and salaries are rising at 4.1 per cent annually. SEEK’s Chief Economist says hiring confidence remains muted.
After eight consecutive months of falling job ad volumes, something has shifted. In April, job ads rose 0.2 per cent nationally, the second straight month of growth, according to SEEK’s April 2026 Employment Report. Volumes are still 1.9 per cent lower than a year ago, but the direction has changed.
The recovery is spread across the country. Every state and the Northern Territory recorded monthly growth in April, with only the Australian Capital Territory going the other way, down 0.7 per cent, as Government and Defence and Healthcare and Medical roles both pulled back.
Dr Blair Chapman, SEEK Chief Economist, welcomed the result but kept his expectations measured. “Job ad volumes grew slightly in April, and importantly, that growth was broad-based across most states and the Northern Territory,” he said. “While this is positive, we shouldn’t underestimate the headwinds still facing Australian businesses. With inflation rising and fuel costs driving up business and living cost pressures, hiring confidence is understandably muted as we head into the final months of the financial year.”
For SME employers, the practical read is straightforward. There are candidates available, competition for roles has eased from its peak, and the market is no longer tightening. But the economic environment is not yet one that encourages confident, large-scale hiring.
Applications per job ad, the number of candidates applying for each role, continued to ease slowly, dropping 0.2 per cent month on month. That figure is 5.6 per cent below the record high recorded in July 2025, but it remains historically high. Most roles are still attracting a solid pool of applicants.
What you will need to pay
While the job ad picture has been mixed, one thing has been consistent: advertised salaries keep going up.
According to SEEK’s April 2026 Advertised Salary Index, salaries grew 0.4 per cent month on month and 4.1 per cent over the past year. Monthly growth has held at or above 0.3 per cent every single month since August 2025, a run of sustained upward pressure that shows no sign of reversing.
“Advertised salary growth remained solid in April, with salaries rising 0.4% over the month and 4.1% over the year,” Chapman said. “With monthly growth holding at or above 0.3% since August last year, annual salary growth has continued to trend higher, despite a more uncertain economic backdrop shaped by higher inflation and interest rates putting pressure on businesses.”
For SME owners setting wage budgets for the year ahead, that consistency matters. Advertised salaries are what active jobseekers expect to be paid. If your wage offers are not keeping pace, you are likely losing candidates to competitors who are.
The industry breakdown gives SME owners in specific sectors a useful reference point. Trades and Services recorded 4.4 per cent annual advertised salary growth. Healthcare and Medical came in at 4.3 per cent. Retail and Consumer Products sat at 3.6 per cent. Hospitality and Tourism at 3.7 per cent. All are rising, some faster than others, but none are easing.
Chapman noted the variation across the market. “While stronger advertised salaries may offer some relief for workers able to switch roles, the pace of growth remains uneven across states and industries, reflecting mixed conditions across the labour market,” he said.
Where hiring is strongest
Not all parts of the country are recovering at the same pace. South Australia led the nation in April with job ad growth of 2.3 per cent month on month, its fifth consecutive month of rising volumes. Demand for Trades and Services workers grew 3.7 per cent, Healthcare and Medical rose 2.4 per cent, and Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics added 1.8 per cent.
The Northern Territory recorded its fourth straight month of growth, up 2.0 per cent, driven by Trades and Services and Mining, Resources and Energy. Queensland has now joined Western Australia and South Australia in recording rising annual demand, with job volumes up 1.8 per cent year on year.
At an industry level, Retail and Consumer Products recorded the strongest monthly growth nationally at 2.2 per cent. Sales followed at 1.8 per cent. Construction and Industrial sectors continued to be the heaviest contributors to overall national job ad growth, while Consumer Services showed a marked turnaround over the past quarter, up 1.4 per cent.
For SME owners in those sectors and regions, the competition for workers is real and growing. Waiting on hiring decisions may mean facing a tighter pool and higher salary expectations in the months ahead.
Planning for the new financial year
With July 1 now weeks away, SME employers are juggling compliance deadlines alongside workforce planning. The jobs data adds useful context to that planning.
Three things stand out from the April numbers.
Salary budgets should reflect sustained growth. With advertised salaries up 4.1 per cent over the past year and rising every month, building in a similar expectation for the year ahead is sensible. Underbudgeting for wages is one of the more common and costly planning mistakes SME owners make heading into a new financial year.
The candidate pool remains solid. Applications per job ad are still historically high despite easing slowly. SMEs advertising roles are not short of applicants in most sectors. The challenge is more likely to be finding the right person than attracting enough interest.
The recovery is uneven. Construction, trades, manufacturing, retail, and consumer services are showing the strongest momentum. If your business operates in those sectors, competition for workers is likely to be more acute than the national headline figure suggests.
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