The Federal Government has released its first report tracking how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping Australia’s workforce.
It found no evidence that AI has caused widespread job losses or major disruptions so far.
However, jobs with higher exposure to AI have grown more slowly than other occupations, with roles largely held by women and university graduates more likely to be affected by automation.
Here’s what the report found.
Background
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations analysedquarterly ABS employment data covering 355 occupations between2015 and 2026.
Each occupation was assigned an AIexposure score using a model developed by Jobs and Skills Australia.
The Department then examined whether employment in more AI-exposed occupations had grown more slowly since ChatGPT’s public launch in November 2022.
The report is the first of its kind and will be updated regularly to monitor how AI is affecting Australia’s labour market.
The report
Australia’s unemployment rate is4.4%, lower than at any point in the decade before COVID.
The report found no evidence AI has caused widespread job losses.
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However, jobs more exposed to AI, such as clerical and administrative roles, are growing more slowly than those less exposed.
Since ChatGPT launched in late 2022, employment in the occupations most exposed to AI has grown by 5.6%, compared with 9.5% in the least exposed occupations. The Government said this may reflect longer-term changes already underway.
The report also found occupations more exposed to AI are more likely to be held by women and people with university qualifications.
Employment among 20 to 24-year-olds has grown slightlyfaster than for workers aged 25+over the same period.
It also identified which occupations are currently most exposed to AI-driven automation:
Most exposed: Routine, computer-based roles like filing and registry clerks, keyboard operators, telemarketers and general clerks.
Least exposed: Hands-on jobs like domestic cleaners, aged care workers and tradies.
Comments
The report notes that while AI has been linked to job cuts in the technology sector overseas, those trends have not yet appeared in the Australian labour market data.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said the Government is “determined to ensure AI is harnessed to create good jobs, not threaten them”.
The findings come as the Government continues to prioritise AI adoption. Its broader AI plan, released in December, focuses on growing the technology while managing its risks.
