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Job market report

Illawarra job market report

Online job ads, monthly unemployment, employment by occupation, people in employment services, pay, longer-term ABS trends and the jobs on ViewJobs in the Illawarra, from Jobs and Skills Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Australian Taxation Office. Every figure is numbered and sourced.

Latest data
JSA September 2026; ABS Regional Labour Force September 2026; JSA NERO September 2026; DEWR June 2026; ATO 2023–24; ABS 2023 to 2025 and the 2021 Census
Updated
27 October 2026
Area
ABS SA4 107 Illawarra
Sources
JSA, ABS, DEWR, ATO and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Steady: online job ads in the Illawarra were down 0.7% on a year earlier, from 1,437 to 1,427 a month in the three months to September 2026.

    Over the same year, ads were down 0.8% across New South Wales and up 0.6% across Australia.[1][2]

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. Carers and aides had the most online ads, 119 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (117) and legal, social and welfare professionals (102).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for food trades rose fastest, up 37.5%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. The unemployment rate in the Illawarra was 5.2% in September 2026, against 4.7% across New South Wales.

    A year earlier it was 5.0%. These are the ABS's modelled estimates for the month, not seasonally adjusted.[3][4]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation, monthly →

  4. 8,835 people in the Illawarra were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 4.2% on a year earlier.

    65.8% of them had been in employment services for 12 months or more.[5]

    Section 5: Job seekers in employment services →
Unemployment rate
5.2%
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.2 points on September 2025[3]
Employed people
168,504
ABS, September 2026 · up 1.2% since September 2025[3]
Online job ads a month
1,427
JSA, September 2026 · down 0.7% since September 2025[1]
People in Workforce Australia employment services
8,835
DEWR, June 2026 · up 4.2% since June 2025[5]

1 Job ads and demand

Jobs and Skills Australia's Internet Vacancy Index is a monthly count of online job ads, compiled from SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia. Regional figures are three-month averages. It is not a count of ViewJobs' own ads.

Illawarra
−0.7%
1,427 ads a month[1]
New South Wales
−0.8%
the sum of its areas[1][2]
Australia
+0.6%
the sum of every area[1][2]

Change in online job ads, the three months to September 2026 against a year earlier.

Figure 1.1: Online job ads a month, IllawarraThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1.2k1.4k1.6k1.8k2kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026IllawarraIllawarra, Sep 2026: 1,4271,427

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Illawarra
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,987
November 20231,803
December 20231,528
January 20241,448
February 20241,464
March 20241,630
April 20241,596
May 20241,567
June 20241,485
July 20241,469
August 20241,501
September 20241,586
October 20241,628
November 20241,547
December 20241,337
January 20251,297
February 20251,255
March 20251,415
April 20251,330
May 20251,380
June 20251,319
July 20251,369
August 20251,355
September 20251,437
October 20251,463
November 20251,452
December 20251,301
January 20261,318
February 20261,323
March 20261,470
April 20261,374
May 20261,332
June 20261,282
July 20261,321
August 20261,362
September 20261,427

2 Which jobs are in demand

Online job ads by occupation group (ANZSCO sub-major groups), the three months to September 2026 against a year earlier.

Figure 2.1: Change in online job ads by occupation, IllawarraThe 12 occupation groups with the most ads, fastest-rising first. Groups with fewer than 5 ads a month now or a year earlier are left out; the table lists all 48.
Food trades: +37.5%Food trades+37.5%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +23.0%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+23.0%Medical practitioners and nurses: +15.8%Medical practitioners and nurses+15.8%Sales assistants and salespersons: +15.1%Sales assistants and salespersons+15.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +8.5%Legal, social and welfare professionals+8.5%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +4.2%Hospitality, retail and service managers+4.2%Drivers and storepersons: +2.4%Drivers and storepersons+2.4%Automotive and engineering trades: +1.5%Automotive and engineering trades+1.5%Other labourers: 0.0%Other labourers0.0%Carers and aides: −11.2%Carers and aides−11.2%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −15.2%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−15.2%Education professionals: −21.2%Education professionals−21.2%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Illawarra
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Carers and aides119134−11.2%
Medical practitioners and nurses117101+15.8%
Legal, social and welfare professionals10294+8.5%
Sales assistants and salespersons9986+15.1%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists95112−15.2%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals7561+23.0%
Automotive and engineering trades6766+1.5%
Food trades5540+37.5%
Hospitality, retail and service managers5048+4.2%
Drivers and storepersons4241+2.4%
Education professionals4152−21.2%
Other labourers37370.0%
Hospitality workers3637−2.7%
Cleaners and laundry workers3029+3.4%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades2922+31.8%
Business, finance and human resource professionals2830−6.7%
Sales representatives and agents2625+4.0%
Numerical clerks2421+14.3%
Corporate managers2329−20.7%
Engineers2330−23.3%
Construction trades23230.0%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians2228−21.4%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries2225−12.0%
Health and welfare support workers2123−8.7%
Sports, travel and personal service workers2017+17.6%
Construction, production and distribution managers1922−13.6%
Other clerical and administrative workers1826−30.8%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1715+13.3%
Health, education, ICT and other managers1316−18.8%
Machine and stationary plant operators1312+8.3%
Mobile plant operators1312+8.3%
Construction and mining labourers1315−13.3%
ICT professionals1013−23.1%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals108+25.0%
Transport and design professionals, and architects97+28.6%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers98+12.5%
Science professionals and veterinarians715−53.3%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades76+16.7%
Sales support workers79−22.2%
Information professionals6fewer than 5n/a
Food preparation assistants67−14.3%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators56−16.7%
Protective service workers5fewer than 5n/a
Factory process workers58−37.5%
Arts and media professionalsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Clerical and office support workers, couriersfewer than 56n/a
Farm, forestry and garden workersfewer than 55n/a
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation, monthly

Monthly unemployment and participation in the Illawarra, from the ABS's Regional Labour Force, to September 2026.

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Illawarra, from January 2019Share of the labour force unemployed each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
2%4%6%8%May 2020Dec 2021Jul 2023Feb 2025Sep 2026IllawarraIllawarra, Sep 2026: 5.2%5.2%New South WalesNew South Wales, Sep 2026: 4.7%4.7%AustraliaAustralia, Sep 2026: 4.6%4.6%

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3]; ViewJobs analysis[4].

Show the numbers below
Figure 3.2: Participation rate, Illawarra, from January 2019Share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
58%60%62%64%66%68%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026IllawarraIllawarra, Sep 2026: 64.0%64.0%New South WalesNew South Wales, Sep 2026: 65.6%65.6%AustraliaAustralia, Sep 2026: 66.5%66.5%

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3]; ViewJobs analysis[4].

Show the numbers below
Figure 3.3: Employed people, Illawarra, indexed to January 2019 = 100Employed people each month as an index, January 2019 = 100, against New South Wales and Australia, so places of different size share one scale.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
  • Australia

Index (Jan 2019 = 100)

90100110120Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026IllawarraIllawarra, Sep 2026: 114.2114.2New South WalesNew South Wales, Sep 2026: 112.4112.4AustraliaAustralia, Sep 2026: 117.4117.4

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3]; ViewJobs analysis[4].

Show the numbers below
Figure 3.4: Youth unemployment (15–24) and all ages, IllawarraThe unemployment rate each month among people aged 15 to 24, against all ages, January 2019 to September 2026.
  • Aged 15–24
  • All ages
0%5%10%15%20%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026Aged 15–24Aged 15–24, Sep 2026: 11.8%11.8%All agesAll ages, Sep 2026: 5.2%5.2%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 3.1 to 3.4: Labour force each month, Illawarra, January 2019 to September 2026Every month and every line the figures above chart. The ABS publishes the full monthly series from January 2012.[3]

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3]; ViewJobs analysis[4].

Show the numbers
Unemployment and participation rates
MonthUnemployment rate, IllawarraUnemployment rate, New South WalesUnemployment rate, AustraliaParticipation rate, IllawarraParticipation rate, New South WalesParticipation rate, Australia
January 20194.9%4.3%5.4%61.4%64.3%65.1%
February 20195.3%4.7%5.4%62.2%65.3%66.1%
March 20195.0%4.6%5.4%61.8%65.1%65.8%
April 20194.3%4.5%5.3%61.7%65.5%65.9%
May 20195.1%4.5%5.1%62.5%65.9%66.1%
June 20195.3%4.6%5.1%62.4%65.6%65.9%
July 20195.0%4.5%5.2%62.4%65.4%65.8%
August 20194.9%4.4%5.3%62.0%65.1%65.7%
September 20194.9%4.4%5.1%62.0%65.2%65.8%
October 20195.0%4.7%5.1%61.6%64.9%65.5%
November 20194.7%4.4%4.8%61.4%64.7%65.7%
December 20195.2%4.4%4.8%62.4%65.6%66.2%
January 20205.6%4.8%5.7%62.0%64.2%65.2%
February 20205.5%5.0%5.5%62.7%65.1%66.2%
March 20205.4%5.1%5.5%62.4%65.0%65.8%
April 20206.6%6.3%6.4%60.6%62.6%63.4%
May 20206.9%6.3%6.9%60.4%61.8%62.5%
June 20207.3%6.6%7.2%61.8%63.2%63.8%
July 20207.7%7.1%7.3%62.4%64.2%64.3%
August 20206.8%6.4%6.8%62.2%64.3%64.4%
September 20207.3%6.8%6.7%62.8%64.8%64.4%
October 20206.5%6.3%6.7%62.5%64.7%65.1%
November 20206.5%6.0%6.3%63.1%65.2%65.6%
December 20206.5%6.2%6.2%63.3%65.6%66.1%
January 20217.0%6.4%6.8%62.2%64.1%65.1%
February 20215.3%6.0%6.3%62.7%65.7%66.3%
March 20216.0%5.8%6.0%63.4%65.6%66.2%
April 20215.1%5.4%5.6%62.5%65.1%65.7%
May 20215.2%5.0%5.0%63.4%65.9%66.2%
June 20215.5%5.1%4.9%63.4%65.7%66.0%
July 20215.1%4.5%4.7%62.2%64.7%65.7%
August 20215.1%4.7%4.6%59.5%61.9%64.7%
September 20215.3%4.5%4.6%59.7%61.6%64.2%
October 20216.1%5.3%5.0%60.3%62.2%64.3%
November 20214.8%4.4%4.3%62.4%64.5%65.9%
December 20214.3%3.9%4.0%62.9%65.1%66.4%
January 20224.5%4.5%4.5%61.5%63.8%65.2%
February 20224.0%4.0%4.4%62.9%65.3%66.8%
March 20224.5%4.1%4.2%62.9%65.2%66.4%
April 20224.0%3.5%3.9%62.8%65.0%66.2%
May 20224.5%4.0%3.9%63.9%66.1%66.7%
June 20223.4%3.3%3.5%63.3%65.9%66.6%
July 20223.6%3.3%3.4%62.4%65.6%66.2%
August 20223.8%3.5%3.5%62.7%65.6%66.2%
September 20223.8%3.3%3.5%63.3%66.0%66.2%
October 20223.2%3.0%3.3%63.1%66.0%66.2%
November 20223.3%3.1%3.3%63.7%66.5%66.8%
December 20223.5%3.1%3.3%64.1%66.8%67.0%
January 20234.3%3.4%4.0%62.7%65.0%65.6%
February 20233.4%3.4%3.9%63.4%66.4%67.0%
March 20233.8%3.5%3.8%63.1%65.7%66.9%
April 20234.0%3.4%3.8%63.4%65.9%66.6%
May 20233.3%3.1%3.5%63.6%66.3%67.1%
June 20233.5%2.9%3.4%63.8%66.2%66.8%
July 20233.6%3.3%3.6%63.2%65.7%66.5%
August 20233.9%3.6%3.7%63.4%66.0%66.4%
September 20233.9%3.3%3.5%63.3%65.7%66.2%
October 20234.0%3.4%3.6%63.8%66.0%66.6%
November 20233.9%3.3%3.6%64.4%66.7%67.1%
December 20233.7%3.3%3.8%64.3%66.6%67.1%
January 20245.4%4.5%4.5%63.1%65.1%65.7%
February 20244.5%3.9%4.0%64.1%66.2%67.3%
March 20244.4%4.0%4.1%63.9%66.1%66.9%
April 20244.7%4.0%4.2%63.9%65.8%66.8%
May 20244.4%3.7%3.9%64.1%66.2%67.1%
June 20244.1%3.8%3.9%63.9%66.1%66.9%
July 20244.5%3.9%4.1%64.4%66.5%67.0%
August 20244.9%4.1%4.1%64.0%65.9%66.7%
September 20244.0%3.7%3.9%63.9%66.1%66.8%
October 20244.6%3.9%3.9%63.8%65.8%66.9%
November 20243.9%3.7%3.6%64.2%66.3%67.0%
December 20244.3%3.6%3.8%65.0%66.9%67.5%
January 20254.8%4.4%4.5%63.8%65.9%66.6%
February 20254.9%4.3%4.4%64.3%66.3%67.2%
March 20254.9%4.4%4.3%64.3%66.3%67.0%
April 20254.1%3.9%4.1%64.0%66.3%67.1%
May 20254.8%4.1%4.0%64.5%66.4%67.4%
June 20255.0%4.3%4.2%64.2%66.1%67.1%
July 20254.6%3.9%4.2%64.3%66.0%66.9%
August 20254.9%4.3%4.3%63.5%65.2%66.4%
September 20255.0%4.2%4.3%63.9%65.4%66.7%
October 20254.6%4.1%4.2%64.0%65.9%66.7%
November 20254.2%3.6%4.0%63.8%65.5%66.8%
December 20254.1%3.7%3.9%64.2%66.1%67.1%
January 20265.1%4.5%4.5%63.4%65.0%66.1%
February 20265.1%4.3%4.6%64.7%66.4%67.4%
March 20264.6%4.6%4.5%64.7%66.8%67.1%
April 20264.9%4.5%4.6%63.9%66.0%66.7%
May 20265.2%4.3%4.3%64.4%66.2%67.0%
June 20264.0%3.9%4.3%64.2%66.4%67.1%
July 20264.5%4.1%4.4%64.5%66.2%66.7%
August 20265.2%4.3%4.6%64.5%65.9%66.6%
September 20265.2%4.7%4.6%64.0%65.6%66.5%
Employed people as an index, January 2019 = 100, and youth unemployment
MonthEmployed people, index, IllawarraEmployed people, index, New South WalesEmployed people, index, AustraliaYouth unemployment rate (15–24), Illawarra
January 2019100.0100.0100.011.5%
February 2019101.0101.2101.712.2%
March 2019100.7101.0101.511.8%
April 2019101.4101.9101.910.1%
May 2019101.9102.5102.511.9%
June 2019101.5102.1102.312.2%
July 2019101.9102.0102.211.8%
August 2019101.6101.9102.111.5%
September 2019101.6102.0102.611.7%
October 2019100.9101.3102.311.9%
November 2019101.0101.5103.011.1%
December 2019102.2102.9103.812.3%
January 2020101.3100.3101.613.5%
February 2020102.5101.8103.413.1%
March 2020102.3101.6103.012.7%
April 202098.196.698.314.9%
May 202097.395.396.615.3%
June 202099.297.298.115.6%
July 202099.798.198.816.0%
August 2020100.498.999.513.9%
September 2020100.999.299.514.8%
October 2020101.399.6100.713.4%
November 2020102.3100.7101.913.4%
December 2020102.7101.1102.813.4%
January 2021100.398.6100.714.5%
February 2021103.1101.4103.111.1%
March 2021103.3101.5103.312.7%
April 2021102.9101.1103.110.9%
May 2021104.5102.8104.511.2%
June 2021104.1102.6104.312.2%
July 2021102.8101.5104.111.4%
August 202198.396.9102.711.7%
September 202198.496.6101.912.2%
October 202198.896.8101.713.8%
November 2021103.7101.5105.110.7%
December 2021105.2103.1106.39.6%
January 2022102.8100.6104.29.8%
February 2022106.0103.7107.08.8%
March 2022105.5103.5106.89.9%
April 2022106.1104.1107.08.9%
May 2022107.6105.4108.19.8%
June 2022108.0105.9108.57.6%
July 2022106.5105.7108.28.0%
August 2022106.9105.7108.38.5%
September 2022107.9106.8108.68.4%
October 2022108.4107.4109.17.1%
November 2022109.4108.3110.27.3%
December 2022110.0109.0110.77.6%
January 2023106.9106.0108.19.4%
February 2023109.3108.5110.87.6%
March 2023108.6107.6111.28.4%
April 2023109.0108.3110.89.0%
May 2023110.3109.5112.37.4%
June 2023110.5109.8112.07.8%
July 2023109.5108.8111.78.2%
August 2023109.7109.1111.78.9%
September 2023109.9109.3112.08.8%
October 2023110.8109.8112.69.2%
November 2023112.2111.3113.69.2%
December 2023112.2111.2113.79.0%
January 2024108.5107.6110.712.6%
February 2024111.3110.4114.110.9%
March 2024111.3110.2113.610.6%
April 2024111.0109.9113.511.4%
May 2024111.8110.8114.510.6%
June 2024111.8110.6114.49.8%
July 2024112.5111.4114.410.7%
August 2024111.4110.4114.111.5%
September 2024112.3111.3114.89.5%
October 2024111.6110.6114.910.9%
November 2024113.3111.8115.79.4%
December 2024114.2113.2116.610.5%
January 2025111.8110.7114.311.7%
February 2025112.7111.6115.811.9%
March 2025112.7111.6115.812.0%
April 2025113.3112.4116.210.2%
May 2025113.5112.4116.912.0%
June 2025112.8111.6116.412.5%
July 2025113.5112.2116.311.4%
August 2025112.0110.6115.611.9%
September 2025112.8111.2116.111.9%
October 2025113.5112.1116.510.7%
November 2025113.7112.3116.910.0%
December 2025114.7113.2117.89.8%
January 2026112.1110.7115.412.1%
February 2026114.7113.4117.812.3%
March 2026115.3113.9117.711.2%
April 2026113.8112.7117.011.9%
May 2026114.4113.3118.012.2%
June 2026115.5114.4118.49.5%
July 2026115.5113.7117.710.5%
August 2026114.9113.3117.511.9%
September 2026114.2112.4117.411.8%

Note: Monthly unemployment, participation and employment are the ABS's Regional Labour Force modelled estimates: the ABS combines its Labour Force Survey with administrative data to estimate each labour market region. They are in original terms, not seasonally adjusted, so every change here compares a month with the same month a year earlier.

4 Who works here: employment by occupation

Estimated employment by occupation in the Illawarra, from Jobs and Skills Australia's monthly nowcast, to September 2026.

Figure 4.1: Largest occupations by estimated employment, Illawarra, September 2026The 10 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026, of an estimated 169,330 people employed in the Illawarra across all occupations. The table adds September 2025 and the change. 6 of the Illawarra's 10 largest occupations are in national shortage.
Sales Assistants (General): 7,760Sales Assistants (General)7,760Registered Nurses: 4,919Registered Nurses4,919Aged and Disabled Carers: 4,740Aged and Disabled Carers4,740Child Carers: 3,527Child Carers3,527General Clerks: 3,403General Clerks3,403Carpenters and Joiners: 2,949Carpenters and Joiners2,949Electricians: 2,944Electricians2,944Retail Managers: 2,926Retail Managers2,926Secondary School Teachers: 2,442Secondary School Teachers2,442Kitchenhands: 1,990Kitchenhands1,990

Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia[6]; Jobs and Skills Australia[7].

Show the numbers
Largest occupations by estimated employment, Illawarra, September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025ChangeNational shortage, 2026
Sales Assistants (General)7,7607,372+5.3%
Registered Nurses4,9195,074−3.1%Shortage
Aged and Disabled Carers4,7405,622−15.7%Shortage
Child Carers3,5273,150+12.0%Shortage
General Clerks3,4033,683−7.6%
Carpenters and Joiners2,9492,981−1.1%Shortage
Electricians2,9442,622+12.3%Shortage
Retail Managers2,9262,856+2.5%
Secondary School Teachers2,4422,513−2.8%Shortage
Kitchenhands1,9901,652+20.5%
Figure 4.2: Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Illawarra, September 2025 to September 2026Estimated employment in September 2026 against September 2025, among occupations with at least 200 people employed at both points: the 5 fastest growing, then the 5 fastest shrinking.
General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers: +28.0%General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers+28.0%Earthmoving Plant Operators: +25.5%Earthmoving Plant Operators+25.5%Building and Plumbing Labourers: +24.8%Building and Plumbing Labourers+24.8%Kitchenhands: +20.5%Kitchenhands+20.5%Keyboard Operators: +20.3%Keyboard Operators+20.3%Aged and Disabled Carers: −15.7%Aged and Disabled Carers−15.7%Medical Technicians: −16.8%Medical Technicians−16.8%Air Transport Professionals: −19.2%Air Transport Professionals−19.2%Bakers and Pastrycooks: −19.5%Bakers and Pastrycooks−19.5%Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians: −20.1%Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians−20.1%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Illawarra, September 2025 to September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025Change
General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers1,3091,023+28.0%
Earthmoving Plant Operators905721+25.5%
Building and Plumbing Labourers1,103884+24.8%
Kitchenhands1,9901,652+20.5%
Keyboard Operators598497+20.3%
Aged and Disabled Carers4,7405,622−15.7%
Medical Technicians297357−16.8%
Air Transport Professionals559692−19.2%
Bakers and Pastrycooks446554−19.5%
Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians8701,089−20.1%
Figure 4.3: People employed in the largest occupations, Illawarra, September 2021 to September 2026Estimated people employed each September from 2021 to 2026, one point a year, in the 5 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026.
  • Sales Assistants (General)
  • Registered Nurses
  • Aged and Disabled Carers
  • Child Carers
  • General Clerks
02k4k6k8kSep 2022Sep 2024Sep 2026Sales Assistants (General)Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2021: 6,874Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2026: 7,7607,760Registered NursesRegistered Nurses, Sep 2021: 3,888Registered Nurses, Sep 2026: 4,9194,919Aged and Disabled CarersAged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2021: 3,371Aged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2026: 4,7404,740Child CarersChild Carers, Sep 2021: 1,625Child Carers, Sep 2026: 3,5273,527General ClerksGeneral Clerks, Sep 2021: 4,425General Clerks, Sep 2026: 3,4033,403

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
People employed in the largest occupations, Illawarra, September 2021 to September 2026
MonthSales Assistants (General)Registered NursesAged and Disabled CarersChild CarersGeneral Clerks
September 20216,8743,8883,3711,6254,425
September 20227,9993,9024,2561,8863,812
September 20237,3294,6805,5691,9263,485
September 20246,8195,1986,4462,3523,524
September 20257,3725,0745,6223,1503,683
September 20267,7604,9194,7403,5273,403

Note: Jobs and Skills Australia's nowcast is experimental: its figures are model estimates of the people employed in each occupation, not a count of them, and each monthly release revises the months before it.

5 Job seekers in employment services

People in Workforce Australia employment services in the Illawarra, from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, to June 2026. These are people getting help to find work, not an unemployment count.

Figure 5.1: People in Workforce Australia employment services, IllawarraPeople in employment services at each snapshot, November 2024 to June 2026.
7.5k8k8.5k9kMar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026IllawarraIllawarra, Jun 2026: 8,8358,835

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5].

Show the numbers below
Figure 5.2: In employment services for 12 months or more and 24 months or more, Illawarra, against New South Wales and AustraliaShare of people in employment services who had been in services for 12 months or more, and in the Illawarra for 24 months or more, November 2024 to June 2026.
  • Illawarra, 12 months or more
  • Illawarra, 24 months or more
  • New South Wales, 12 months or more
  • Australia, 12 months or more
30%40%50%60%70%Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Illawarra, 12 months or moreIllawarra, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 65.8%65.8%Illawarra, 24 months or moreIllawarra, 24 months or more, Jun 2026: 44.1%44.1%New South Wales, 12 months or moreNew South Wales, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 64.6%64.6%Australia, 12 months or moreAustralia, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 64.4%64.4%

Sources: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5]; ViewJobs[8].

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 5.1 and 5.2: People in employment services at each snapshot, Illawarra, November 2024 to June 2026Every snapshot loaded, one row each.[5]

Sources: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5]; ViewJobs[8].

Show the numbers
People in employment services and the shares in services for 12 and 24 months or more
SnapshotPeople in employment services, IllawarraIn services 12 months or more, IllawarraIn services 24 months or more, IllawarraIn services 12 months or more, New South WalesIn services 12 months or more, Australia
November 20247,75060.8%40.3%60.7%60.8%
December 20247,81060.9%39.9%60.7%60.7%
January 20258,07560.1%39.3%60.4%60.5%
February 20258,21059.9%39.1%60.4%60.3%
March 20258,34560.4%39.2%60.5%60.3%
April 20258,42060.3%38.7%60.8%60.5%
May 20258,46060.5%38.5%61.0%60.7%
June 20258,47561.2%39.0%61.7%61.3%
July 20258,44062.0%39.1%62.0%61.7%
August 20258,39562.4%40.0%62.6%62.2%
September 20258,43562.7%40.4%62.8%62.4%
October 20258,47062.8%40.6%63.1%62.7%
November 20258,47062.6%40.5%62.9%62.5%
December 20258,57062.5%40.7%63.1%62.6%
January 20268,84562.4%40.8%63.1%62.7%
February 20268,92063.2%41.1%63.5%63.1%
March 20268,86064.3%41.9%63.8%63.4%
April 20268,83565.0%42.7%64.1%63.8%
May 20268,83065.5%43.4%64.4%64.2%
June 20268,83565.8%44.1%64.6%64.4%
Figure 5.3: People in employment services by age group, Illawarra, June 2026The 5 age groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
Under 25: 2,210Under 252,21025–34: 2,27025–342,27035–44: 1,70035–441,70045–54: 1,42045–541,42055 and over: 1,22555 and over1,225

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5].

Show the numbers
People in employment services by age group, Illawarra, June 2026
Age groupPeopleShare
Under 252,21025%
25–342,27026%
35–441,70019%
45–541,42016%
55 and over1,22514%
Figure 5.4: People in employment services by allowance group, Illawarra, June 2026The 3 allowance groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
JobSeeker Payment: 6,690JobSeeker Payment6,690Youth Allowance (other): 1,180Youth Allowance (other)1,180Other: 965Other965

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5].

Show the numbers
People in employment services by allowance group, Illawarra, June 2026
Allowance groupPeopleShare
JobSeeker Payment6,69076%
Youth Allowance (other)1,18013%
Other96511%

6 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in the South Coast, a ViewJobs region that reaches beyond this ABS area: 32% of its towns are in the area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the South Coast
910
ViewJobs, 30 Oct 2026[9]
Figure 6.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, South CoastThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 30 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 298Healthcare & Medical298Retail & Consumer Products: 99Retail & Consumer Products99Hospitality & Tourism: 88Hospitality & Tourism88Community Services & Development: 86Community Services & Development86Education & Training: 72Education & Training72Trades & Services: 49Trades & Services49Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 38Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics38Sport & Recreation: 23Sport & Recreation23

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, South Coast
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical298
Retail & Consumer Products99
Hospitality & Tourism88
Community Services & Development86
Education & Training72
Trades & Services49
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics38
Sport & Recreation23

Browse jobs by region

7 Pay

Average salary and wages per earner from the ATO's taxation statistics, by income year. The newest regional figures are for the 2023–24 income year.

Figure 7.1: Average salary and wages per earner, Illawarra, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)Average salary and wages per earner, 2021–22 to 2023–24 income years (ATO), against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$65k$70k$75k$80k$85k2021–222022–232023–24IllawarraIllawarra, 2021–22: $68,066Illawarra, 2022–23: $72,813Illawarra, 2023–24: $75,664$75,664New South WalesNew South Wales, 2021–22: $72,962New South Wales, 2022–23: $77,277New South Wales, 2023–24: $80,137$80,137AustraliaAustralia, 2021–22: $69,980Australia, 2022–23: $73,647Australia, 2023–24: $76,760$76,760

Sources: Australian Taxation Office[10]; ViewJobs[11].

Show the numbers
Average salary and wages per earner, Illawarra, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)
Income yearIllawarraNew South WalesAustralia
2021–22$68,066$72,962$69,980
2022–23$72,813$77,277$73,647
2023–24$75,664$80,137$76,760

Note: Averages are pulled up by high earners. The ATO counts a postcode that spans regions in the region holding most of it.

9 Quick answers

Short answers to the questions people ask about the Illawarra's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in the Illawarra?

1,427 online job ads a month were placed in the Illawarra, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Illawarra's job market growing or shrinking?

Steady: online job ads in the Illawarra were down 0.7% on a year earlier, from 1,437 to 1,427 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were down 0.8% across New South Wales and up 0.6% across Australia.

Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia[1]; ViewJobs analysis[2].

Which jobs are most in demand in the Illawarra?

Carers and aides had the most online ads, 119 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (117) and legal, social and welfare professionals (102). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for food trades rose fastest, up 37.5%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Illawarra?

The unemployment rate in the Illawarra was 5.2% in September 2026, against 4.7% across New South Wales. A year earlier it was 5.0%. These are the ABS's modelled estimates for the month, not seasonally adjusted.

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3]; ViewJobs analysis[4].

Is unemployment rising in the Illawarra?

Yes. Unemployment in the Illawarra was up 0.2 points on a year earlier in September 2026, at 5.2% against 5.0% (ABS modelled estimates). Across New South Wales it was up 0.5 points.

Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3]; ViewJobs analysis[4].

What are the biggest occupations in the Illawarra?

An estimated 7,760 of the 169,330 people employed in the Illawarra in September 2026 worked as Sales Assistants (General), the largest occupation there. Next were Registered Nurses (4,919 people) and Aged and Disabled Carers (4,740 people). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Which occupations are growing fastest in the Illawarra?

Among occupations with at least 200 people employed in both September 2025 and September 2026, General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers grew fastest in the Illawarra, up 28.0% to an estimated 1,309 people employed, followed by Earthmoving Plant Operators (up 25.5%) and Building and Plumbing Labourers (up 24.8%). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

How many people are in Workforce Australia employment services in the Illawarra?

8,835 people in the Illawarra were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 4.2% on a year earlier. 65.8% of them had been in employment services for 12 months or more.

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5].

How long have people in the Illawarra been in Workforce Australia employment services?

At 30 June 2026, 65.8% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 44.1% for two years or more, against 64.6% and 43.4% across New South Wales.

Sources: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5]; ViewJobs[8].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the Illawarra?

910 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the South Coast, a ViewJobs region that reaches beyond the Illawarra, as of 30 Oct 2026. 32% of its towns are in the area. The most advertised are Healthcare & Medical (298), Retail & Consumer Products (99) and Hospitality & Tourism (88).

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

10 Notes and method

What the figures count, where they come from, and the rules this report applies to them.

The area
The Illawarra here is ABS SA4 107 Illawarra. The reports cover 50 areas, 42 regional ABS regions and the eight capital cities: the areas Jobs and Skills Australia publishes online job ads for.
Online job ads
Jobs and Skills Australia's Internet Vacancy Index is a monthly count of online job ads, compiled from SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia. Regional figures are three-month averages. It is not a count of ViewJobs' own ads. It counts ads, not jobs filled, by occupation and area.
State and national ads
This report reads the index's series by area, so a state or national figure here is the sum of its areas, marked as ViewJobs analysis. It can differ from the state and national totals Jobs and Skills Australia publishes separately.[2]
Small numbers
A figure under 5 ads a month is shown as "fewer than 5". A group with fewer than 5 ads a month, now or a year earlier, is left out of every change, and every ranking by change.
Unemployment
Monthly unemployment, participation and employment are the ABS's Regional Labour Force modelled estimates: the ABS combines its Labour Force Survey with administrative data to estimate each labour market region. They are in original terms, not seasonally adjusted, so every change here compares a month with the same month a year earlier. The ABS's labour market regions follow the 2011 boundaries of its SA4 regions, which differ slightly from today's in a few areas.
Employment by occupation
Jobs and Skills Australia's nowcast is experimental: its figures are model estimates of the people employed in each occupation, not a count of them, and each monthly release revises the months before it. Occupations are ANZSCO unit groups, named as Jobs and Skills Australia publishes them. The growth rankings take only occupations with at least 200 people employed at both points.[6]
People in employment services
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (or DEWR). Counts are of people by home address; the ABS area is the SA4 that address falls in. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of SA4 regions.[5]
Pay
Average salary and wages per earner come from the ATO's Taxation Statistics for individuals. An income year runs from 1 July to 30 June and the figures are published more than a year later, so none leads this report. The ATO assigns a postcode that spans regions wholly to the region holding most of it. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of SA4 regions.[10]
ABS figures
The latest ABS income and jobs figures here are for the year to 30 June 2023; population and business counts are more recent. Every figure shows its year. Change is measured from 2019: the ABS figures for 2018 and 2019 differ sharply for some industries in some areas. Industries with fewer than 1,000 employee jobs are listed but not ranked.
Jobs on ViewJobs
ViewJobs regions do not follow ABS boundaries. Section 6 counts the ads open on ViewJobs on 30 Oct 2026 in each ViewJobs region with at least 20% of its towns in this area, and counts each region whole: a region that reaches beyond the area can include ads from outside it, and a region with fewer of its towns here is left out. A classification links to its own page once it has enough ads for one.

11 References

Every figure on this page points at one of these entries.

  1. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, September 2026. jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-10/internet_vacancies_anzsco2_occupations_gccsa_and_sa4_regions_-_september_2026.xlsx. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 25 October 2026.
  2. ViewJobs, ViewJobs analysis of the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index, September 2026. jobsandskills.gov.au/data/internet-vacancy-index. State and national figures are the sum of the ABS areas in Jobs and Skills Australia's regional series.
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional Labour Force, September 2026. abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/regional-labour-force/sep-2026/MLF1.xlsx. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 25 October 2026.
  4. ViewJobs, ViewJobs analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Regional Labour Force, September 2026. abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/regional-labour-force/latest-release. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of the ABS's modelled labour market regions, with rates worked out from the sums.
  5. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Workforce Australia Caseload by Selected Cohorts, June 2026. dewr.gov.au/employment-services-data/resources/workforce-australia-caseload-selected-cohorts-30-june-2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 26 October 2026. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (or DEWR).
  6. Jobs and Skills Australia, Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, September 2026. jobsandskills.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-10/2026-09_nero.zip. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 27 October 2026. Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), September 2026, CC BY 4.0. Experimental estimates.
  7. Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation Shortage List, 2026. jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-shortage. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 28 October 2026. Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List, CC BY 4.0.
  8. ViewJobs, ViewJobs analysis of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Workforce Australia Caseload by Selected Cohorts, June 2026. dewr.gov.au/employment-services-data/workforce-australia-caseload-data. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of SA4 regions.
  9. ViewJobs, Live job ads on ViewJobs, 30 Oct 2026. viewjobs.com.au.
  10. Australian Taxation Office, Taxation Statistics, 2023–24. data.gov.au/data/dataset/faea4485-f407-457d-97f8-3f0822ccd654/resource/9d8577b7-a096-4758-9b3b-0649f3b83de7/download/ts24individual06taxablestatusstatesa4postcode.xlsx. Licence: CC BY 2.5 AU. Accessed 26 October 2026.
  11. ViewJobs, ViewJobs analysis of the Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics, 2023–24. ato.gov.au/about-ato/research-and-statistics/in-detail/taxation-statistics. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of SA4 regions.
  12. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Data by Region, v1.6.0. dbr.abs.gov.au. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 25 October 2026.

Cite this report

ViewJobs (2026). Illawarra job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/nsw/illawarra

Licence

Contains data from Jobs and Skills Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, used under CC BY 4.0, and from the Australian Taxation Office, used under CC BY 2.5 AU. ViewJobs has charted the data and, where marked as ViewJobs analysis, added areas together.

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