Australia's media and events industry grew its workforce by more than 2% to about 60,000 employees in 2025, even as broadcasters and publishers shed jobs, according to a Mercury Talent report analysing 546 companies.
Search and social media companies recorded the strongest expansion, growing headcount by nearly 16%, while retail media, out-of-home and B2B media businesses also posted solid gains.
Traditional media organisations including ARN, SCA, Seven, Foxtel and Paramount reduced headcount over the year but still account for more than half of all media employment.
"While traditional media is under pressure, the industry overall is not shrinking — it's shifting," said Justin Randles, director of Mercury Talent.
"Jobs are moving into platforms, retail media and events, while large employers are increasingly focused on replacing talent rather than expanding headcount."
The labour market is highly concentrated, with two-thirds of all media professionals employed by just 15 companies with more than 1,000 staff.
Average industry turnover sits at 20.2%, rising above 30% in project-based sectors such as film and TV production and large-scale events.
The report also found that fears of widespread AI-driven job losses have so far not materialised, with generative AI tools widely used across media organisations but not yet reducing workforce size.
Mercury Talent expects continued restructuring within legacy media businesses but a broadly stable overall workforce, noting further cuts risk impacting revenue-generating capacity.
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