<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nearly one in five </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span> employers expect to make staff redundant by the end of the month, if they haven't already.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That's according to The Australian HR Institute's (AHRI) Quarterly Australian Work Outlook, which revealed 19 per cent of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/employment" rel="" target="_blank" title="organisations"><span>organisations</span></a><span> anticipated redundancies in the first quarter of 2026.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's an alarming figure for Aussie workers struggling with the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/cost-of-living" rel="" target="_blank" title="cost of living."><span>cost of living.</span></a></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-17-donald-trump-pushes-allies-for-help-in-strait-of-hormuz/07b534e9-af93-4d00-91dc-58dba21ca969" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump ramps up pressure on allies to help secure oil route</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But it's also the third lowest recorded since AHRI started the survey in early 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The industries with the highest recorded redundancy intentions were health and education, both at 26 per cent, and production at 23 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Redundancy intentions are higher in the public sector than the private sector at 23 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/redundancies-coming-for-about-one-in-five-organisations/7ce1e25d-2458-4131-9cca-2cb2ee81d58e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The gap is unsurprising, as the private sector almost always rates higher for redundancies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But it has narrowed considerably in the first few months of 2026.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-cuba-taking-venezuela-usa-politics-news/ad77bf7e-441b-40fc-b041-37829374c809" target="_blank"><strong><span>Donald Trump says he'll be 'taking Cuba' in latest escalation</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The AHRI report didn't specifically touch on the role of AI in expected redundancies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What it did show is that more than one-third of employers believe AI is improving productivity while also creating new skills gaps, "suggesting that its impact is currently </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/one-in-four-australian-jobs-at-high-risk-of-automation-ai-disruption/ab5f43e3-5ef5-4404-b3ce-51b42396b31d" rel="" target="_blank" title="more about reshaping work than displacing jobs"><span>more about reshaping work than displacing jobs</span></a><span>".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Other key findings include the revelation that 69 per cent of employers actively exclude certain groups of people when recruiting staff.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The most common characteristics excluded in recruitment include people with a criminal record, a history of drug/or alcohol abuse, or a history of mental illness.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Candidates who disclose a history of long-term illness, those with a disability, and candidates aged 55 and over were also excluded.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-shortage-regional-australia-farmer-urges-victorians-to-stop-driving-to-work/f247462b-544b-431b-96cc-4e2076173ef1" target="_blank"><strong><span>Victorian farmer urges commuters to take public transport instead of driving as regional bowsers run dry</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australians looking for a new job will also be disappointed to hear hiring intentions have dropped sharply.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the AHRI report, fewer than 60 per cent of organisations intend to recruit next quarter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That's the lowest recorded level since the survey began.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's especially dire news for workers who have been or will be affected by redundancies this year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australians can safeguard their roles by embracing lifelong learning, building skills that complement new technologies, and developing transferable capabilities such as problem-solving and communication," an AHRI spokesperson told nine.com.au. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"With Australia's workforce ageing and job design evolving, it is essential that workers keep pace with changes in skills demand and the composition of the labour market. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Those who actively commit to continuous learning, and can demonstrate their skills, will be best placed to adapt and remain relevant."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div 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