Improved Business Confidence Drives Higher Job Seeking Activity Despite Continued Economic Uncertainty
The most recent Gartner Global Talent Monitor survey of 820 Australian employees, collected between April and June 2026, found job availability confidence in Australia increased to 56.3 in 2Q26, reflecting a modest recovery in labor market sentiment after reaching a three-year low of 55.7 at the end of 2025. Confidence in the overall business environment also increased to its highest rate in the last four years of 48.8 in 2Q26, up from 47.4 in 4Q25.
“Employees are beginning to see more opportunities emerge after an extended period of caution in the Australian labor market,” said Neal Woolrich, Director Analyst in the Gartner HR practice. “While job confidence remains below the highs seen in 2024, employees believe they have greater choice and mobility than they did six months ago. This is creating modest movement in the job market, despite ongoing cost pressures, productivity concerns and continued uncertainty surrounding the impact of AI on jobs and skills.”
Retention Risks Emerging for Employers
The improvement in job market confidence is reflected in the job seeking behavior of Australian employees. Gartner’s survey found 26.5% of Australian employees were actively seeking a new role in 2Q26, up from 19.4% in 4Q25, indicating a return to greater workforce mobility.
The survey also revealed the number of Australian employees intending to stay in their current organization decreased to 34% in 2Q26, down from 38.1% in 4Q25. The decline suggests employees are becoming more open to evaluating external opportunities as confidence in the labor market improves.
“When employees feel the market is opening up, they naturally become more willing to test their options,” said Woolrich. “Organizations shouldn’t assume that lower turnover levels seen in 2025 will continue indefinitely. Employees who delayed career decisions during a period of uncertainty are increasingly reassessing their next move.”
Gartner’s survey data revealed poor manager quality and lack of respect as the top two reasons Australian employees would leave their job in 2Q26 (see Table 1). This highlights the role that leaders play in clearly communicating organizational direction and stability during times of sustained uncertainty.
Table 1: Top 10 Drivers of Employee Attraction and Attrition, Australia, Q2 2026
| Drivers of Attraction (change in rank) | Drivers of Attrition (change in rank) |
| Location (nil) | Manager quality (+1) |
| Compensation (+1) | Respect (+3) |
| Respect (+1) | Work-life balance (+1) |
| Work-life balance (-2) | People management (-3) |
| Manager quality (+1) | Coworker quality (+1) |
| Stability (-1) | Compensation (-3) |
| Recognition (+1) | Location (+2) |
| Coworker quality (-1) | Recognition (+7) |
| People management (+6) | Innovative work (+12) |
| Future career opportunity (nil) | Future career opportunity (-2) |
Source: Gartner Global Talent Monitor Survey, Q2 2026
“Many employees stayed put in the last year because they perceived limited external opportunities and market uncertainty, while facing cost of living pressures,” said Woolrich. “But as the market starts shifting, employers now need to focus on the factors that genuinely encourage people to stay, including career growth, manager quality, flexibility and meaningful work experiences. Retention strategies built for a constrained labor market may not be sufficient in a more confident one.”
