The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the latest labour force data today (July 23, 2026) – Labour Force, Australia – for June 2026 – which provided mixed signals about the state of the labour market. While employment growth was positive, it was biased to part-time work, which is perhaps signalling a weakening as the first adjustment typically made by employers is to reduce hours of work before they cut jobs overall. However, on the other side, participation grew, which means more workers are either working or seeking work. However, the bias towards part-time work was manifest in the rising underemployment rate. There are now 10.9 per cent of available labour not being used (either unemployed or underemployed), which makes a farce of the RBA’s claims that the labour market is tight. There is substantial scope for more job creation given the slack that is present. There is substantial scope for more job creation given the slack that is present.