Shift in Employment Trends in Australia as 230,000 Employees Secure Permanent Jobs

• A decline in casual employment with approximately 230,000 newly created jobs offering long-term stability
• As a boost to job security for Australian workers, the reform has created a clear and structured transition employment pathway

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), has recently reported a decline in the casual employment statistics, with approximately 230,000 newly created jobs offering long-term stability for Australian employees. Industrial relation reforms under the Albanese Government have contributed to creation of nine in 10 new jobs to be of permanent status.

The proportion of casual employment has fallen to 22 percent of total employment, making a drop from the 24.1 percent average maintained during the previous nine years of Coalition leadership. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2024 report indicates that 43.3 percent of women and 19.5 percent of men are employed in part-time roles.

Australian women are disproportionately concentrated in secure employment, particularly in the care giving and casual work. The prevalence of part-time and temporary employment limits their career advancements opportunities, contributing to the gender pay gap. With the implementation of new laws, 687,500 casual employees who aspire to secure permanent positions now has a clear and structured transition employment pathway.

ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus called the increase in permanent jobs “a very significant achievement and a boost to job security for Australian workers”. “Australians have more permanent jobs as a result of the government’s Closing Loopholes legislation, which cracked down on too many jobs being casualised,” “From today, many casual workers also get stronger rights to convert to permanency if they want. While many people are happy with casual work, hundreds of thousands are not.”

These legislative changes empower employees to challenge their employment classification, with the Fair Work Commission stepping in to resolve conflicts. Effective immediately, casual employees in larger businesses can access these expanded rights.