The Employment Market Right Now: Stable on the Surface, Selective Underneath

If you just looked at the headlines, you’d say the employment market is holding up well.

Unemployment remains low, participation is high and businesses are still hiring. On paper, it looks healthy. But once you get closer to it, especially in marketing and digital, the reality is a bit more complex.

Here’s what we’re seeing.

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The Macro Picture (What the Data Says)

Recent ABS labour force data shows a relatively tight employment market, with unemployment near historic lows and steady participation. At the same time, Commonwealth Bank’s latest insights point to stable wages and steady hiring demand, even as broader economic growth softens.

SEEK data adds another layer:

• Job ads are down year-on-year
• Applications per role are increasing
• Salary growth is steady but not accelerating

In short: There are still jobs, but there are more people competing for them.

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What This Means in Practice

This is no longer a volume-driven hiring market.

It’s a selection-driven one.

We’re seeing:

• Fewer quick hires
• Tighter shortlists
• More focus on capability and impact
• Hiring managers taking fewer risks

This lines up with what we’ve been seeing in recent editions:

• Employers are prioritising commercial outcomes over activity  
• Culture fit and working style are being assessed earlier  
• The middle of the market is feeling the most pressure, not the top performers  

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The Brisbane Lens

Brisbane continues to hold up well compared to Sydney and Melbourne.

We’re seeing:

• More pragmatic hiring decisions
• Less process-heavy recruitment
• Strong demand across services, healthcare, retail and education-led organisations
• Continued population growth supporting long-term demand

But it’s not immune.

Even here, hiring managers are clearer than ever on what they want and more willing to wait for it.

The days of “close enough” hires are fading.

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The Positives

There’s still a lot to like:

• Employment is strong, we’re not in a downturn
• Wages are stable, no sharp corrections
• Good marketers are still in demand
• Brisbane remains a growth market nationally

If you’re clear on your value and can show impact, you can still move and move well.

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The Challenges

This is where most people are feeling it:

• More competition per role
• Slower processes and more stages
• Higher expectations around commercial thinking
• Less tolerance for “potential” without proof

The Bottom Line

The market isn’t down.

It’s just more deliberate.

There’s still opportunity, especially in Brisbane. But it’s sitting with:

• Candidates who are clear on where they fit
• Those who can show real impact
• And those willing to adapt to a more selective environment

For everyone else, it can feel slower and more competitive. Not because the market is broken, but because expectations have increased.