Unemployment Rises to 4.3 Percent With 35,000 More Out of Work

Australia NewsABS figures show the unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in January.People queue outside an Australian government welfare centre, Centrelink, in Melbourne, Australia, on March 23, 2020. William West/AFP via Getty ImagesMonica O’Shea3/18/2026|Updated: 3/18/20260:00Australia’s unemployment rate has risen to 4.3 percent, up from 4.1 percent the previous month, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).The news comes amid Australians struggling with higher fuel prices linked to the Iran war, as well as higher interest rates.