Australia HR hiring cools: new roles down 18% and weekly pace off 45% from its peak
The People & HR market in Australia has eased since its late September high. Here is what that means if you're applying now.
is what the typical role asks for. 12% ask for 10 years or more.
32% of open roles state years51 new roles in the last 30 days, against 62 the 30 days before, at the same companies.
Companies read for 60 days or moreat 191 companies hiring in Australia.
Issue of 2 November 2026This week's read
There are 278 open People & HR roles in Australia right now, spread across 191 companies. But the flow of new postings has slowed: 51 new roles went up in the last 30 days, down from 62 the 30 days before, an 18% drop. The weekly pace tells the same story: new postings peaked at 20 in the week of 21 September and have since fallen to 11 in the week of 26 October, a 45% drop from that peak.
Most job ads don't actually spell out how much experience you need. Only 32% of open roles state a minimum years figure at all. Among those that do, the median ask is 4 years, and 12% want 10 or more years. If you don't see a years requirement on a listing, that's normal here, not a sign you're being screened out.
Working from home is rare in this market: just 1% of open roles are remote. Pay is also hard to judge from postings alone. Only 7% of listings state a salary, which is too few to say what the market typically pays for these roles.
Liebherr (7 open roles), Amazon (6), Transport for NSW (6) and Webuild (6) currently have the most open HR postings, but together the top 8 employers account for only 15% of all open roles, so hiring is spread thin rather than concentrated in a handful of big names. On skills, HRIS systems are named in 20% of postings, with SAP SuccessFactors and Workday each asked for in 8%. Knowledge of employment law comes up in 28% of postings, more than any other industry-specific ask.
Most roles sit at the mid-level: 68% of open titles are mid-level, with senior titles at 15%, lead at 8%, principal at 6% and junior just 3%. If you're early career, that mid-heavy mix is worth keeping in mind when you search.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Expect fewer new postings each week
New roles are down 18% over the last 30 days and the weekly pace has fallen 45% since its late September peak. Don't read a quiet week as unusual, it's the current trend.
- No years listed is common, not a red flag
Only 32% of open roles state a minimum years requirement. If a posting doesn't mention it, that's typical here, so don't rule yourself out over an unstated bar.
- HRIS and employment law knowledge stand out
HRIS is named in 20% of postings, SAP SuccessFactors and Workday each in 8%, and employment law knowledge in 28%. These come up often enough to be worth noting on your CV if they apply to you.
Momentum
New People roles each week
Last 30 days: 51 new roles, against 62 the 30 days before (-18%). Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 15 |
| 14 Sep | 16 |
| 21 Sep | 20 |
| 28 Sep | 10 |
| 5 Oct | 18 |
| 12 Oct | 5 |
| 19 Oct | 16 |
| 26 Oct | 11 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open People roles
191 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 15% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles |
|---|---|---|
| Liebherr | 7 | |
| Amazon | 6 | |
| Transport for NSW | 6 | |
| Webuild S.p.A. | 6 | |
| Marriott International | 5 | |
| Suncorp | 5 | |
| Downer | 4 | |
| Goodstart Early Learning | 4 |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology People roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 273 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: Employment law 28%, Manufacturing 6%, Construction 5%. Certifications named: Prosci Certified Change Practitioner 1%, CIPD 1%, SHRM certification 1%. 1% of open roles say they are remote.
Cite this report