Australia is “not on monitor” to fulfill the federal authorities’s purpose of 1.2 million know-how‑associated jobs by 2030, in response to new financial information from its Division of Business, Science and Sources (DISR).

The goal, which was set by trade foyer group Tech Council of Australia and adopted by the federal authorities in 2022, would not be met in time, based mostly on up to date jobs figures publicly reported in DISR’s newest annual report on Tuesday.

Rising the variety of tech-related jobs in Australia is likely one of the division’s key efficiency measures, and one it admitted it had not met.

“The measure was not met because the trajectory will not be on monitor to achieve the goal by 2030,” DISR stated.

“… A decline in [three] successive quarters all year long signifies a possible ongoing pattern.”

Whereas DISR had met its purpose of sustaining a trajectory in the direction of 1.2 million tech jobs between 2022 and 2024, it stated numbers have been not on monitor following a drop of round 31,000 tech jobs within the 12 months to Might 2025.

This was a 3.7% decline because the similar time in 2024, whereas Australia’s broader labour market grew by 2% in that interval, DISR stated.

Australia had round 950,000 tech staff as of Might 2025, discovered the division, which instructed the determine might proceed to hover beneath 1 million based mostly on a median of the eight most up-to-date quarters.

The biggest contributor to the decline in know-how jobs up to now 12 months was a 3.9% drop in such roles in non‑know-how industries, in response to DISR.

“There was additionally a 3.6% discount in know-how jobs in know-how industries, which was in step with international developments, and a 3.2% discount in non‑know-how jobs in know-how industries over the identical interval,” the division stated.

Industries similar to vitality, healthcare, and training had seen will increase up to now eight quarters, however DISR discovered the drop in know-how jobs “aligned extra intently with declines in some conventional industries”.

These included info, media, and telecommunications (down 6.9%), manufacturing (down 2.3%), and administrative companies (down 2%).

_{The Division of Business, Science and Sources says tech jobs have dropped within the final three quarters. Picture: DISR / Provided}

Australia ‘should spend money on individuals’

Whereas varied organisations have outlined and measured Australia’s know-how sector in numerous methods, the Australian Laptop Society (ACS) — the writer of Data Age — had forecast that the nation would attain 1.2 million tech staff by 2030.

The society’s newest Australia’s Digital Pulse report, produced yearly by Deloitte Entry Economics, instructed Australia would have virtually 1.48 million tech staff by 2035.

ACS CEO Josh Griggs stated DISR’s newest numbers confirmed Australia “should spend money on individuals as a lot as in know-how”.

“Growing Australia’s know-how expertise pipeline requires a coordinated, long-term strategy,” stated Griggs, who added ACS hoped to encourage college students to pursue know-how careers.

“We additionally assist tech-adjacent staff transitioning into digital roles and assist present professionals frequently upskill as applied sciences evolve as each enterprise is a tech enterprise,” he stated.

Tech Council of Australia stated it was “intently analysing” the most recent tech job figures.

“Whereas there was some fluctuation, the tech sector continues to be one of many quickest rising sectors in Australia and we stay optimistic that the 1.2 million jobs purpose by 2030 is achievable,” a spokesperson informed Data Age.

“Reaching this purpose will take continued collaboration between authorities and trade and meaning enhancing pathways to tech careers, constructing digital expertise throughout the financial system and ensuring companies can entry the expertise they want.”

A spokesperson for the Minister for Business, Innovation, and Science, Tim Ayres, stated the federal authorities was “dedicated to giving Australians the abilities they need, for the roles we’d like – particularly in tech-related roles”.

“For the reason that Albanese Authorities’s Free TAFE program began in January 2023, there have been greater than 65,000 enrolments in know-how and digital sector programs,” they stated.

“As well as, our Constructing Ladies’s Careers program has funded a number of partnerships aimed toward rising the tech workforce.”

ACS’s newest Australia’s Digital Pulse report discovered realising a possible $25 billion financial increase over the following decade partly required addressing digital expertise gaps and upskilling non-tech staff.

“A variety of initiatives” have been in place to present Australian staff the abilities to tackle technology-related jobs, DISR stated.

These included variety in STEM initiatives and packages centered on AI, quantum, and rising know-how graduates.

Job cuts hitting tech staff

Expertise staff have lately confronted job cuts at giant companies similar to Amazon, Intel, Microsoft, and Telstra, whereas a number of main Australian banks have confronted criticism for redundancies which have included tech-related roles.

Australia’s nationwide science company CSIRO can also be anticipated to lose lots of of workers this 12 months.

Some employers have additionally reported hiring fewer entry-level staff amid the rise of extra succesful generative AI applied sciences.

Federal company Jobs and Expertise Australia has instructed such applied sciences have “a better capability to enhance work than automate work”.

It discovered roles in information entry, record-keeping, accounting, and communications have been amongst probably the most weak to potential automation.

Australia’s general unemployment charge has risen since mid-2022, and reached 4.5% in September — the very best seasonally adjusted unemployment charge recorded since November 2021.

The nation’s service industries — these circuitously associated to producing bodily items — have pushed virtually 90% of employment development over the previous decade, in response to Jobs and Expertise Australia.

• This story first appeared on Data Age. You possibly can learn the unique right here.