Business turnover rose by 0.5% in trend terms in March, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The data highlighted continued broad-based resilience across key sectors, despite weather disruptions and global uncertainty.
“We have seen a continued rise in monthly business turnover since September 2024,” said Robert Ewing (pictured), ABS head of business statistics.
The seasonally adjusted 13-industry aggregate showed 0.4% growth in March, with eight of the 13 tracked industries recording gains.
“The wholesale trade industry led the growth, up 2.2%,” Ewing said. “Driving this rise were basic material wholesaling, which rebounded following a dip in exports in February, and motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts wholesaling.”
The gains point to recovering momentum in trade-sensitive industries as supply chains normalise following earlier disruptions.
This aligns with ABS March quarter insights showing increased household demand for vehicles and stronger goods exports, reflecting renewed economic activity in key consumer and trade categories.
Offsetting the growth were downturns in five industries, most notably those affected by extreme weather conditions.
“The largest drops were in electricity, gas, water and waste services, down 4.1%, and transport, postal and warehousing, down 3.9%,” Ewing said. “Both of these industries were impacted by adverse weather conditions across Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia.”
These weather-related disruptions echo other ABS findings of regional climate events weighing on infrastructure and supply chain performance.
Compared to March 2024, business turnover was higher in 11 of the 13 industries.
“The industries that saw the strongest annual rises were manufacturing (+11.9%), and Information media and telecommunications (+9.7%).”
These gains reflect ongoing investment in digital services and local production capacity—trends reinforced by ABS quarterly insights highlighting strength in manufacturing output and data consumption.
However, some industries underperformed year-on-year.
“The industries with annual falls were mining (-5.9%), and arts and recreation services (-1.4%),” Ewing said.
The fall in mining turnover may reflect volatility in commodity exports, while discretionary spending constraints continue to affect the arts and leisure sectors.
