Portfolio — 19 March 2026

**February Labour Force Results**

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Ms Rishworth, released the February labour force data on 19 March, reporting that Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.3 per cent. The increase coincided with a 0.2 percentage point lift in the participation rate as more people entered the workforce. Employment reached a record high of 14,748,700 after a net gain of 48,900 jobs [TA-260319-dewr-240a78741295].

Ms Rishworth emphasised that women's participation remains at record levels, with a record number of women in work. She stated the government would "continue to create jobs, lift wages, and ensure workers have security" [TA-260319-dewr-240a78741295].

**Treasurer's Macro Framing**

The Treasurer, Dr Chalmers, contextualised the labour market data against the broader economic outlook within the same release. He described the resilient jobs market as providing a strong foundation to manage global uncertainty and the impacts of the Middle East conflict. Dr Chalmers framed the government's priorities as inflation, productivity, and resilience [TA-260319-dewr-240a78741295].

**Synthesis**

The single media release served as the government's coordinated response to the monthly labour force figures, with the Employment Minister foregrounding participation gains and workforce security while the Treasurer linked the same data to fiscal and macroeconomic settings amid geopolitical headwinds. The simultaneous rise in unemployment alongside record employment and participation reflects a labour force expanding faster than job creation can absorb.

No parliamentary sitting occurred on this date, so the release stands as the sole record of the minister's activity for the window.