SYDNEY, Australia - 27 July 2026 - Deputy, the global people platform for shift work , today published the Hourly Work Index for June 2026. The findings indicate a transition toward highly disciplined labour management as employers proactively adjusted to the Fair Work Commission's recent award wage increases and evolving macroeconomic conditions.

The Index highlights a strategic deceleration in recruitment, with new hires falling 22.9% month-on-month. While hours worked decreased by 11.0% across indexed sectors, average hourly pay remained resilient at $36.13. Crucially, the average lead time for shift publication rose 27.7% to 8.3 days, reflecting a concerted effort by businesses to enhance predictability for both operations and employees.

This trend aligns with the implementation of the 4.75 – 6% award wage increase and the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to maintain the cash rate at 4.35%. Together, these factors have prompted Australian businesses to optimise existing resources and adopt more sophisticated scheduling strategies.

Sector highlights

Healthcare — Displayed the highest level of planning rigour, extending shift lead times by 31.1% to 13.6 days. This proactive approach balanced a moderate reduction in hours with the need for continued service excellence under new wage structures.

Hospitality — Faced dampened discretionary spending, the sector saw a 27.6% decrease in new hires. Businesses are increasingly focused on retaining core talent and optimising shift patterns to mitigate rising operational costs.

Retail — Employment metrics remained consistent with broader economic trends, as shifts and hours declined 7.7%. Despite a 25.9% drop in hiring, hourly pay saw a marginal increase of 0.2%, suggesting a focus on rewarding experienced personnel.

Services — This sector underwent significant restructuring, marked by a 10.2% increase in turnover and a 34.6% surge in advance scheduling. These shifts signal a transition toward more efficient, data-driven staffing models.

Analysis of the first half of 2026 reveals a distinct trajectory: while shift volumes have fluctuated, the consistent acceleration in recruitment pullbacks and the steady rise in scheduling lead times point to a more mature and resilient approach to workforce management across the Australian market.

“June's data shows Australian employers becoming far more intentional in how they manage their workforce. Rather than continuing to hire through uncertainty, businesses pulled back on recruitment, reduced hours and, at the same time, increased roster planning well ahead of the July wage changes. That combination tells us employers are planning, not panicking. When you have access to live workforce data, you can model labour costs before decisions are made instead of reacting afterwards. The businesses that adapt fastest to changing economic conditions won't necessarily be the ones spending less. They'll be the ones making better-informed decisions earlier, using technology to balance compliance, labour costs and employee stability at the same time.” Ciaran Hale, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Deputy

Specific industry sub-sectors also responded to cultural milestones; the Gambling sub-sector saw shifts rise 52.4% during major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and State of Origin. In contrast, the 12.4% decline in Bar shifts suggests that businesses are successfully decoupling specific demand surges from general hospitality labour costs.

Read the June 2026 Hourly Work Index below.

About the Hourly Work Index

The Hourly Work Index by Deputy, the global people platform for hourly work, uses anonymised and aggregated Deputy customer and user data. The data was normalised to account for seasonality and demand of workforce fluctuations throughout the week (e.g. weekday vs. weekends).

About Deputy

Deputy is the intuitive, people platform built specifically for shift work. Trusted by over 1.5 million shift workers and 380,000 workplaces in more than 100 countries, Deputy brings together AI-powered scheduling, compliance automation, accurate payroll and mobile-first communication to help businesses run more efficiently and teams feel empowered. Discover more at www.deputy.com ​

Mat Beeche

Global Strategic Communications Director, Deputy

• E. mbeeche@deputy.com