Total business turnover across the 13 key industries in Australia has fallen by 0.3 per cent in April 2025 compared to the prior month, with retail hanging onto growth.
This is according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Retail trade business turnover lifted just 0.7 per cent month-on-month in April, the lowest growth recorded across seven industries, with six other industries seeing a fall in turnover.
Accommodation and food services business turnover led the way, up 3.8 per cent in April.
ABS head of business statistics Robert Ewing said the 10-day super-break across the Easter and ANZAC Day weekends boosted spending within the leading sector, after poor weather affected turnover in March.
“The arts and recreation services industry was also up 3.7 per cent,” Ewing said. “The subdivision detail available in this release shows us that the gambling activities subdivision was the main driver, up 11.1 per cent.
“Other notable industry rises were for transport, postal and warehousing, up 1.8 per cent, and mining, up 1.5 per cent.”
Rises in these industries were partially offset by falls in six of the 13 industries. The largest fall, according to Ewing, was in administrative and support services, down 2.1 per cent.
“Construction and information media and telecommunications were also both down 1.1 per cent.”
The 13-industry aggregate showed business turnover rising 0.3 per cent in both seasonally adjusted and trend terms.
Compared to April 2024, turnover was higher for 11 of the 13 industries included in the indicator.
Retail again reported the lowest growth in year-on-year terms, up just 1.1 per cent.
Industries that saw the strongest annual rises were manufacturing (up 11.4 per cent), and accommodation and food services (up 10.6 per cent).
Meanwhile, industries with annual falls were mining (down 3.1 per cent) and administrative and support services (down 0.8 per cent).