August 2026 Policy and Reports Update

Insights

August 28, 2026

Shane Kocass

In this policy update, we highlight important reports and initiatives that were announced in July and August 2026 that influence the Arts, Personal Services, Retail, Tourism, Hospitality and Vocational Education and Training (VET) sectors, as well as the broader economic landscape.

DEWR – AI and employment in Australia

On 8 July, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations released its report, AI and employment in Australia, providing an up-to-date, data-driven analysis of how artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting Australia’s labour market.

The report finds no evidence to date that AI is causing large-scale job losses or widespread labour market disruption in Australia.

Key findings include:

Overall labour market conditions remain strong by recent historical standards.
The youth labour market has remained relatively resilient, while changes in the occupational mix are not unusually rapid.
There are signs of softening in occupations with greater potential exposure to generative AI, including across employment, hours worked, job advertisements and unemployment.
The report’s statistical modelling identifies a modest negative relationship between AI exposure and employment following the introduction of ChatGPT, although the estimated impact is small.
The analysis does not measure AI adoption at the individual firm level or identify specific jobs created or displaced by AI.

Access the full report here

Tasmania – Visitor Data Snapshot – Year ending March 2026

On 23 July, the Tasmania Visitor Data Snapshot for the year ending March 2026 was released. Published quarterly using data from the Tasmania Visitor Survey, the latest snapshot highlights strong visitor numbers and expenditure.

Key insights include:

Visitor spend reached $1.528 billion, the strongest March quarter result on record, up 5.6% compared with 2025.
Visitation reached a March quarter record of 494,300 visitors, up 3.8% year on year.
Visitors spent 4.82 million nights in Tasmania, down 2.8% from the record set in 2025.
Interstate visitation reached a March quarter record of 417,900 visitors, up 0.9%, contributing $1.217 billion in spend.
Average spend increased to $3,091 per visitor and $317 per night.
The West recorded the strongest regional visitor growth, up 9.6%, while the North and North West recorded their highest March quarter visitation levels.

Access the full report here

Queensland Nightlife Economy Action Plan 2026-2032

On 29 July, the Queensland Government released the Queensland Nightlife Economy Action Plan 2026–2032, recognising the important role a strong nightlife economy plays in supporting local artists, jobs and small businesses, live music and cultural experiences, tourism, safer public spaces and vibrant communities.

The Plan highlights the opportunity to strengthen Queensland’s reputation as a world-class destination for nightlife, entertainment and cultural experiences ahead of the 2032 Games.

The Plan identifies five key priorities:

Making it easier for nightlife businesses to thrive
Backing live music and cultural experiences
Activating local nightlife precincts
Supporting a safe night for everyone
Building a stronger nightlife economy

Access the plan here

Cruise Shipping 4-Year Action Plan

On 29 July, Tourism Tasmania released its Cruise Shipping 4-Year Action Plan, outlining its approach to the cruise market in line with the goals of the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy.

The Plan identifies cruise tourism as a strong fit for Tasmania, with positive sentiment increasing from 2022 to 2025. Mid to large ships and the luxury segment deliver the greatest economic benefits through onshore expenditure and regional dispersal.

The Plan focuses on growing value over volume, supporting regional dispersal, contributing positively to the environment, maintaining community harmony and delivering a distinctive Tasmanian experience.

Of relevance to SaCSA, the Plan recognises the need to work with partners to address workforce shortages and improve the quality of local step-on tour guides.

Access the plan here

ATIC – State and Regional Tourism Satellite Account

On 30 July, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission released its State and Regional Tourism Satellite Accounts 2024–25, providing annual estimates of tourism’s economic contribution across all Australian states and territories and 76 tourism regions.

Key findings include:

Australia’s visitor economy continued to grow, supported by increased domestic travel and the ongoing recovery of international visitation.
Tourism consumption, GDP, filled jobs, exports and imports all reached record levels in 2024–25.
Tourism consumption reached $211.1 billion, up 3.4% on the previous year, with the Northern Territory recording the strongest year-on-year growth.

Of particular interest to SaCSA, the report highlights tourism employment:

Australia recorded 695,900 direct tourism-filled jobs, up 2.1% and representing 4.4% of all filled jobs.
Tourism supported a further 469,500 indirect jobs, bringing the combined contribution to more than 1.16 million jobs.
Tourism’s share of indirect employment increased from 2.9% in 2023–24 to 3% in 2024–25.
Five states and territories recorded growth in direct and total tourism-filled jobs, while three recorded declines.

Access the full report here

TAS – 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy – Four Year Action Plan to 2030 and Beyond

On 31 July, the Tasmanian Government released its 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy and Four Year Action Plan to 2030 and Beyond. The Strategy sets out a vision that, by 2030, Tasmania’s visitor economy will continue to be valued by Tasmanians for its positive contribution to the environment, prosperity and way of life, while offering visitors a genuinely distinctive Tasmanian experience.

The Strategy notes that tourism is entering a new phase of growth, shaped by AI and digital transformation, the growing influence of major events as travel motivators and stronger growth opportunities from international markets.

Of particular interest to SaCSA, the Strategy highlights:

Planning is underway to maximise opportunities for Tasmania from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games by promoting the state to international visitors planning to attend the Games.
Tourism and hospitality workforce availability and skills shortages, including chefs and guides, are identified as challenges to achieving the Strategy’s outcomes.
Tourism’s capacity to grow depends on having a skilled workforce to support the sector.
Continued investment in jobs and training will be important to ensure Tasmanians benefit from tourism growth, particularly in regional and remote areas.

Access the strategy here

Tourism 2035

On 5 August, Tourism Australia released its strategic plan, Tourism 2035, which aims to generate demand for a competitive and sustainable tourism industry.

The Plan seeks to achieve this by presenting a desirable and enduring vision of Australia, harnessing technology, fostering partnerships and championing authentic, enriching experiences. Central to this vision is respectfully embedding and celebrating First Nations cultures.

Of particular interest to SaCSA, the Plan highlights:

The tourism sector provides one of the largest entry points to employment for young Australians, building transferable skills in customer service, leadership and problem solving that contribute to productivity across the economy.
In the past year, tourism supported 726,000 filled jobs, 15% above pre-pandemic levels and representing 4.5% of the national workforce.
In 2025, tourism supported more than 700,000 jobs, representing 4.4% of the national workforce.
Visa settings will remain an important enabler of inbound travel, influencing ease of access and trip planning.
Training and support for travel agents continues to evolve, with new AI-enabled learning tools making it easier to update product knowledge and stay informed about changes across the sector.

Access the plan here

JSA – Vacancy Report – June 2026

On 22 July, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released its latest Vacancy Report for June 2026, a monthly data series measuring online job advertisements.

According to the report, job advertisements increased by 0.7% nationally in June, continuing a recent pattern of minor monthly variations and indicating a potential slowing of the medium-term downward trend observed from June 2022 to early 2025.

Key statistics from the report include:

Job advertisement levels remain elevated, with around 20% more advertisements currently than the monthly average recorded in 2019.
Over the year to June 2026, online job advertisements decreased by 3.9%. This trend is also reflected in other labour demand indicators, with the ABS Job Vacancies, Australia series showing a 2.1% decrease in vacancies over the year to May 2026.
Recruitment activity increased across five states and territories during June. The strongest increases were recorded in the ACT, up 5.3%, followed by South Australia, up 2.9%, and Western Australia, up 2.3%.
Job advertisements increased across three Skill Level groups. The strongest growth was recorded for Skill Level 4 occupations, generally requiring a Certificate II or III, up 2.9%, followed by Skill Level 1 occupations, generally requiring a bachelor degree or higher, up 1.1%.
Advertisements increased across five Major Occupation groups during the month.
Recruitment activity remained concentrated in metropolitan Australia, with 70.2% of job advertisements located in capital cities. Over the past 12 months, advertisements increased by 1.8% in regional areas while decreasing by 3.2% in capital cities.

Access the report here

JSA – Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey: June quarter 2026

On 30 July, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released its Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey for the June quarter 2026, which monitors recruitment activity and conditions across Australia.

Key highlights from the report include:

The recruitment rate was 48%, one percentage point higher than the same period last year.
The recruitment difficulty rate was 44%, five percentage points lower than the same period last year.
17% of employers expected to increase staff, down three percentage points from the same period last year, while 5% expected to decrease staff.
Western Australia recorded the highest recruitment rate of the six states at 55%, while Tasmania recorded the highest recruitment difficulty rate at 56%.
Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote Australia recorded both the highest recruitment rate at 53% and recruitment difficulty rate at 52% across the ARIA regions.
Of particular interest to SaCSA, Accommodation and Food Services recorded the highest recruitment rate among the selected industries at 62%.

Access the full report here

NCVER – Total VET students and courses 2025

On 22 July, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released its Total VET students and courses 2025 report, providing data and insights on nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) delivered by Australian registered training organisations (RTOs) to domestic and international students.

Key highlights from the report include:

In 2025, 5.1 million domestic and international students were enrolled in nationally recognised VET, continuing the growth observed in recent years and increasing slightly by 1,585 students compared with 2024.
While the number of domestic students aged 15 to 64 increased slightly, the VET participation rate for this group declined marginally to 26.4%, reflecting population growth outpacing growth in student numbers.
Growth was concentrated among younger students, including school students, as well as students from regional and remote areas, students with disability and First Nations students. In contrast, the number of full-time and female students undertaking VET declined.
The number of students undertaking qualifications declined by 108,360, while participation in short courses and stand-alone subjects increased.
Of particular interest to SaCSA, enrolments in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package qualifications declined by 5.7%.

Access the full report here

NCVER – Apprentice and trainee completion rates 2025

On 28 July, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released its Apprentice and trainee completion rates 2025 report, providing insights into completion and attrition rates for apprentices and trainees across Australia.

Key highlights from the report include:

The six-year trade completion rate was 58.7% for the 2019 commencing cohort, up slightly from 58.3% for the 2018 cohort.
Trade completion rates have increased for every commencing cohort since 2015, indicating a positive long-term trend.
For non-trade apprentices and trainees, the four-year completion rate was 42.7% for the 2021 commencing cohort, down from 48.4% for the 2020 cohort and marking the third consecutive decline. This trend aligns with changes to government incentives and the occupational mix of training.
The main reasons for non-completion included dissatisfaction with pay or working conditions, and personal reasons.

Of particular interest to SaCSA:

Trade completion rates were among the lowest for Cooks at 40.6% and Hairdressers at 47.6%.
Among non-trade apprentices and trainees, Hospitality Workers recorded one of the lowest completion rates at 32.8%.
The completion rate for Sales Assistants declined by 11.6 percentage points compared with the 2020 commencing cohort.

Access the full report here

NCVER – VET in Schools 2025

On 30 July, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released its latest VET in Schools 2025 data, providing insights into VET participation among school-aged students, based on data to 31 December 2025.

According to the report, in 2025, compared with 2024, there were:

276,860 school-aged VET students, an increase of 11,005, or 4.1%.
412,840 program enrolments, predominantly in qualifications, an increase of 18,860, or 4.8%.
151,485 program completions, an increase of 9,180, or 6.4%.

Other key statistics include:

The ABS reported 1,224,615 secondary school students aged 14 to 19 in 2025.
Queensland recorded the highest VET in Schools participation rate and student numbers of any state or territory.
Western Australia’s participation rate has declined since 2019, following increased pathway flexibility within the Western Australian Certificate of Education.
The ACT’s participation rate and overall VET student numbers have continued to decline year on year over the past decade.
Tasmania has typically recorded the highest proportion of school-based apprentices and trainees as a share of its VET in Schools activity over the past decade, at 10.9% in 2025.
However, South Australia recorded an increase in school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, rising 3.2 percentage points from 2024 to represent 11.1% of VET in Schools students in 2025.

Access the full report here

We encourage our stakeholders to delve deeper into these reports and strategies to understand their potential impact and leverage them in planning and decision-making. As always, we remain committed to supporting a vibrant and sustainable workforce across all industries.

Author: Shane Kocass, Policy and Government Relations Adviser at SaCSA, analyses government policies, fosters meaningful engagement with government stakeholders, and assists in navigating the complex policy landscape to drive impactful outcomes.