Quality of life · Work & earnings
As at 13 October 2026 · official data unless labelled
Long-term unemployment rate
What the numbers are telling us
The long-term unemployment rate was 0.92% in 2025, up 0.08 pts on the previous reading (0.84%).
It is below its 10-year average of 1.16%, which is a better reading than usual.
Across 37 OECD countries (2025), Australia ranks 15th best of 37 on long-term unemployed, below the median of 1.09%.
Why it matters
People out of work for a year or more, the group whose skills and prospects suffer most.
What it should be
There is no official target, so Australia is judged against comparable countries: lower than the OECD median is better. The OECD median is 1.09%.
Every figure on this page is calculated from the stored official series (OECD, How's Life? Current well-being (OECD WISE)); the summary is written from the numbers, not edited by hand.