Economists tip December jobs rebound, but there's no inflation relief in sight
Unemployment may edge higher, but leading economists sill think the jobs market will remain tight.
The state of the jobs market will be in sharp focus for the Reserve Bank and the government as economic data trickles through this month.
Here’s what you need to know about the key economic releases this week.
New numbers
The data: Building activity, September 2025, Australian Bureau of Statistics
When: Wednesday 21 January 2026
The data: Engineering construction activity, September 2025, Australian Bureau of Statistics
When: Wednesday 21 January 2026
The data: Labour force, December 2025, Australian Bureau of Statistics
When: Thursday 22 January 2026
What to expect: TMarket expectations point to a 27,800 rise in jobs in December, with unemployment steady at 4.3%. Bloomberg consensus is for 26,300 jobs to be added, a 4.4% jobless rate and a 66.8% participation rate, up 0.1 percentage points month-on-month.
ANZ is forecasting a 20,000 increase in employment, with joblessness steady at 4.3%.
