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City Compass

Sydney (C)

Post-Census updates

JobSeeker recipients

This page tracks JobSeeker and Youth Allowance (other) recipients for Sydney (C) at SA2 level. It provides a more current signal of labour-market stress and socio-economic pressure than Census-only views.

About this topic

This page tracks JobSeeker and Youth Allowance (other) recipients for Sydney (C) at SA2 level. It provides a more current signal of labour-market stress and socio-economic pressure than Census-only views.

The current comparison uses January 2026 against June 2023. Rates are calculated against the available ERP 15-64 population for each period.

Key insight

In January 2026, 6,581 people in Sydney (C) were receiving JobSeeker or Youth Allowance (other), equal to 3.3% of the working-age population, compared with 5,554 (2.9%) in June 2023. Redfern had the highest current rate and Sydney (South) - Haymarket the lowest.

6,581

Recipients January 2026

3.3% of 15-64 population

+1,027

Change since June 2023

2.9% to 3.3%

8.0%

Highest SA2 rate

Redfern

1.0%

Lowest SA2 rate

Sydney (South) - Haymarket

Chart view

Recipients by SA2

Current rate on the bar, comparison rate as the marker. Sorted by current rate.

Sydney (C):3.3%
Greater Sydney:4.3%
New South Wales:5.3%

Redfern

8.0%

6.9%

Waterloo

5.8%

5.3%

Glebe - Forest Lodge

5.1%

4.3%

Surry Hills

4.7%

4.4%

Potts Point - Woolloomooloo

4.2%

3.6%

Newtown (NSW) (part)

4.2%

3.2%

Darlinghurst

4.1%

3.4%

Annandale (NSW) (part)

3.6%

2.2%

Sydenham - Tempe - St Peters (part)

3.3%

2.9%

Sydney (North) - Millers Point (part)

2.8%

2.1%

Pyrmont

2.5%

2.2%

Erskineville - Alexandria

2.2%

1.6%

Paddington - Moore Park (part)

2.1%

1.7%

Camperdown - Darlington (part)

2.1%

1.5%

Chippendale

1.9%

1.9%

Ultimo

1.9%

1.7%

Rosebery - Beaconsfield

1.2%

1.1%

Zetland

1.1%

1.1%

Sydney (South) - Haymarket

1.0%

0.9%

Comparison rateCurrent LGA rateHigher-than-LGA SA2s shown in accent

Data table

JobSeeker rates by SA2

Download recipient counts and rates for the current and comparison months.

SA2January 2026 recipientsJanuary 2026 rateJune 2023 recipientsJune 2023 rate
Redfern9758.0%8206.9%
Waterloo8755.8%7805.3%
Glebe - Forest Lodge8605.1%7154.3%
Surry Hills6804.7%6354.4%
Potts Point - Woolloomooloo6704.2%5503.6%
Newtown (NSW) (part)2494.2%1873.2%
Darlinghurst3954.1%3153.4%
Annandale (NSW) (part)03.6%02.2%
Sydenham - Tempe - St Peters (part)03.3%02.9%
Sydney (North) - Millers Point (part)2002.8%1502.1%
Pyrmont2802.5%2352.2%
Erskineville - Alexandria3802.2%2701.6%
Paddington - Moore Park (part)842.1%671.7%
Camperdown - Darlington (part)1082.1%751.5%
Chippendale1701.9%1651.9%
Ultimo1701.9%1451.7%
Rosebery - Beaconsfield1351.2%1151.1%
Zetland1351.1%1351.1%
Sydney (South) - Haymarket2151.0%1950.9%
Source: Department of Social Services, data.gov.au. Rates use ERP 15-64 population denominators. Compiled by Geografia.