Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down to 4.4% in May 2026 from April's more than four-year high of 4.5%, matching market expectations. The number of unemployed Australians fell by 18,300 to 671,300, with part-time seekers decreasing by 9,700 to 230,500 and full-time seekers decreasing by 8,600 to 440,800. The economy added 40,300 jobs, bringing total employment to 14.74 million, a sharp reversal from April's revised contraction of 40,700 and beating the forecast of a 30,000 increase. Part-time employment swelled by 35,200 to 4.60 million, while full-time employment rose by 5,200 to 10.14 million. Separate data showed household spending rose 1.3% month-over-month in May, rebounding from a 1.1% decline in April, with spending up in eight of nine major categories.