Australian Industry Index®

The Australian Industry Index® is representative of the modern industrial ecosystem. It brings together the manufacturing, construction, engineering, technology and business services sectors – industries which together account for 36% of the Australian economy.

Recognising the heritage and importance of the Australian PMI® and Australia PCI®, both will continue as sub-indicators available within the Australian Industry Index®, however, there will no longer be separate release dates for these indexes.

The Australian Industry Index® is published on the first working Wednesday of each month (or the following working day if the Wednesday is a national holiday): Australian Industry Index release dates 2026


October 2026: Manufacturing on the front line of inflation crisis

Key findings

  • The Australian Industry Index® rose 6.4 points in October to -19.1 (seasonally adjusted).
  • The activity, employment, new orders and input indicators improved slightly this month, but continued to reflect weak business conditions.
  • Cost pressures increased further as the initial impact of higher fuel prices is now passing along supply chains. Weak market conditions mean industry is unable to fully pass these costs on, placing mounting pressure on margins.
  • Manufacturing is highly impacted by rising costs and shows no sign of recovery yet. Downstream manufacturers are especially impacted as they are also feeling the effects of a weakening consumer economy.
  • Business services and construction improved in October compared to September but remained weak by historical comparison.

Economic Intelligence newsletter

September 2026

In the September edition of Economic Intelligence we cover:

  • How Australia’s labour market has evolved in 2026: This research note explores examines five areas of unevenness: overall labour market conditions, recruitment difficulty, employment on-costs, access to working from home, and the role of migrant workers.
  • Tracking Australian industry: Headline GDP growth concealed underlying weakness; consumer spending drove growth amid weak business investment; datacentre boom widened industry growth divide; import-intensive datacentre expansion delivered modest net growth gains; productivity remains stalled despite AI and datacentre investment; fuel imports jumped as energy crisis bites.
  • Economic Forecasts: OECD forecasts slower economic growth in Australia amid easing domestic demand and global uncertainty, while inflationary pressures are expected to prompt further modest interest rate increases in the near term.

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Detailed Index Data

Our reports and time series data for the Australian Industry Group Australian Industry Index® are available free of charge to members at any time via email from our economics research team economics@australianindustrygroup.com.au. Our data is available to non-members on an annual subscription basis or a one-off purchase. Our data subscribers receive the report and time series data for the activity index, sector and selected states via email each month.

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The Workplace Advice Line is Australian Industry Group’s national telephone advisory service for members’ on-the-spot workplace-related questions. 

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Australian Industry Group is the peak membership body for Australian industry, linking you to the insights, services and expertise you need to be successful. As a member of Australian Industry Group, you are part of a powerful, credible and experienced industry community.