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Job market report

Cairns 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 Cairns, 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 306 Cairns
Sources
JSA, ABS, DEWR, ATO and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in Cairns were up 2.7% on a year earlier, from 2,150 to 2,209 a month in the three months to September 2026.

    Over the same year, ads were up 0.1% across Queensland and up 0.6% across Australia.[1][2]

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists had the most online ads, 171 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (165) and sales assistants and salespersons (145).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for ICT professionals rose fastest, up 50.0%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. The unemployment rate in Cairns was 4.8% in September 2026, against 4.4% across Queensland.

    A year earlier it was 4.8%. These are the ABS's modelled estimates for the month, not seasonally adjusted.[3][4]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation, monthly →

  4. 13,185 people in Cairns were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.

    68.8% of them had been in employment services for 12 months or more.[5]

    Section 5: Job seekers in employment services →
Unemployment rate
4.8%
ABS, September 2026 · about the same as September 2025[3]
Employed people
144,033
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.6% since September 2025[3]
Online job ads a month
2,209
JSA, September 2026 · up 2.7% since September 2025[1]
People in Workforce Australia employment services
13,185
DEWR, June 2026 · down 0.3% 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.

Cairns
+2.7%
2,209 ads a month[1]
Queensland
+0.1%
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, CairnsThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1.8k2k2.2k2.4k2.6kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026CairnsCairns, Sep 2026: 2,2092,209

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Cairns
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20232,447
November 20232,382
December 20232,074
January 20242,015
February 20241,963
March 20242,160
April 20242,080
May 20242,075
June 20242,040
July 20242,045
August 20242,119
September 20242,181
October 20242,263
November 20242,236
December 20242,011
January 20252,001
February 20251,892
March 20252,109
April 20251,973
May 20251,991
June 20251,992
July 20252,101
August 20252,156
September 20252,150
October 20252,178
November 20252,129
December 20251,908
January 20261,879
February 20261,875
March 20262,143
April 20262,061
May 20262,053
June 20261,990
July 20262,104
August 20262,165
September 20262,209

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, CairnsThe 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.
Medical practitioners and nurses: +44.7%Medical practitioners and nurses+44.7%Business, finance and human resource professionals: +15.1%Business, finance and human resource professionals+15.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +7.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals+7.1%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +5.2%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+5.2%Sales assistants and salespersons: +2.8%Sales assistants and salespersons+2.8%Food trades: +1.2%Food trades+1.2%Carers and aides: 0.0%Carers and aides0.0%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −3.4%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−3.4%Other labourers: −4.5%Other labourers−4.5%Drivers and storepersons: −4.7%Drivers and storepersons−4.7%Hospitality, retail and service managers: −12.1%Hospitality, retail and service managers−12.1%Automotive and engineering trades: −16.0%Automotive and engineering trades−16.0%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Cairns
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists171177−3.4%
Medical practitioners and nurses165114+44.7%
Sales assistants and salespersons145141+2.8%
Carers and aides1211210.0%
Drivers and storepersons101106−4.7%
Hospitality, retail and service managers94107−12.1%
Legal, social and welfare professionals9084+7.1%
Automotive and engineering trades89106−16.0%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals8177+5.2%
Food trades8180+1.2%
Other labourers6467−4.5%
Business, finance and human resource professionals6153+15.1%
Corporate managers5645+24.4%
Hospitality workers5453+1.9%
Cleaners and laundry workers53530.0%
Health and welfare support workers5047+6.4%
Construction, production and distribution managers4745+4.4%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians4638+21.1%
Construction trades4653−13.2%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades4349−12.2%
Mobile plant operators4238+10.5%
Numerical clerks4129+41.4%
Other clerical and administrative workers4037+8.1%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries3744−15.9%
Education professionals3528+25.0%
Sports, travel and personal service workers3534+2.9%
Engineers30300.0%
Sales representatives and agents2836−22.2%
Farm, forestry and garden workers2723+17.4%
Machine and stationary plant operators2619+36.8%
Transport and design professionals, and architects2317+35.3%
Science professionals and veterinarians2220+10.0%
Construction and mining labourers1817+5.9%
Sales support workers1615+6.7%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1422−36.4%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers1416−12.5%
Health, education, ICT and other managers1317−23.5%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals1311+18.2%
Food preparation assistants13130.0%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades1011−9.1%
ICT professionals96+50.0%
Information professionals880.0%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers8fewer than 5n/a
Factory process workers812−33.3%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators78−12.5%
Protective service workers711−36.4%
Arts and media professionals6fewer than 5n/a
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 56n/a

3 Unemployment and participation, monthly

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

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Cairns, from January 2019Share of the labour force unemployed each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Cairns
  • Queensland
  • Australia
2%4%6%8%10%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026CairnsCairns, Sep 2026: 4.8%4.8%QueenslandQueensland, Sep 2026: 4.4%4.4%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, Cairns, from January 2019Share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Cairns
  • Queensland
  • Australia
60%62%64%66%68%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026CairnsCairns, Sep 2026: 66.7%66.7%QueenslandQueensland, Sep 2026: 66.6%66.6%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, Cairns, indexed to January 2019 = 100Employed people each month as an index, January 2019 = 100, against Queensland and Australia, so places of different size share one scale.
  • Cairns
  • Queensland
  • Australia

Index (Jan 2019 = 100)

90100110120130Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026CairnsCairns, Sep 2026: 119.4119.4QueenslandQueensland, Sep 2026: 122.9122.9AustraliaAustralia, 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, CairnsThe unemployment rate each month among people aged 15 to 24, against all ages, January 2019 to September 2026.
  • Aged 15–24
  • All ages
0%10%20%30%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026Aged 15–24Aged 15–24, Sep 2026: 11.4%11.4%All agesAll ages, Sep 2026: 4.8%4.8%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 3.1 to 3.4: Labour force each month, Cairns, 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, CairnsUnemployment rate, QueenslandUnemployment rate, AustraliaParticipation rate, CairnsParticipation rate, QueenslandParticipation rate, Australia
January 20195.6%6.3%5.4%63.1%65.0%65.1%
February 20196.6%6.1%5.4%65.2%66.2%66.1%
March 20197.0%6.5%5.4%65.3%66.1%65.8%
April 20196.0%6.0%5.3%64.8%65.7%65.9%
May 20196.6%6.1%5.1%65.7%66.1%66.1%
June 20196.4%6.3%5.1%65.2%65.7%65.9%
July 20196.2%6.0%5.2%64.4%66.0%65.8%
August 20196.9%6.2%5.3%64.6%65.7%65.7%
September 20196.7%6.1%5.1%65.3%66.3%65.8%
October 20196.4%6.0%5.1%64.9%65.8%65.5%
November 20195.8%5.5%4.8%65.2%66.0%65.7%
December 20195.4%5.1%4.8%65.1%65.7%66.2%
January 20206.9%6.5%5.7%65.5%65.3%65.2%
February 20206.1%6.1%5.5%66.2%66.3%66.2%
March 20206.7%5.9%5.5%65.5%65.4%65.8%
April 20207.5%7.0%6.4%62.5%62.7%63.4%
May 20208.4%7.7%6.9%61.6%61.4%62.5%
June 20208.3%7.8%7.2%63.3%62.9%63.8%
July 20208.9%8.3%7.3%64.5%64.0%64.3%
August 20207.3%7.1%6.8%65.0%64.8%64.4%
September 20207.7%7.1%6.7%65.7%65.4%64.4%
October 20207.3%7.2%6.7%66.1%66.1%65.1%
November 20206.6%6.7%6.3%65.7%65.7%65.6%
December 20206.6%6.6%6.2%66.5%66.5%66.1%
January 20217.2%7.3%6.8%65.7%65.7%65.1%
February 20217.2%6.7%6.3%66.9%66.7%66.3%
March 20216.4%6.3%6.0%66.4%66.4%66.2%
April 20215.9%6.0%5.6%65.9%66.0%65.7%
May 20215.6%5.4%5.0%66.6%66.5%66.2%
June 20215.5%5.2%4.9%66.8%66.5%66.0%
July 20215.1%5.1%4.7%66.5%66.3%65.7%
August 20215.1%5.0%4.6%65.7%65.7%64.7%
September 20214.6%4.7%4.6%65.7%66.1%64.2%
October 20215.3%4.9%5.0%66.1%66.1%64.3%
November 20215.0%4.2%4.3%66.2%66.3%65.9%
December 20214.6%4.2%4.0%66.2%66.5%66.4%
January 20225.1%4.7%4.5%65.3%65.6%65.2%
February 20225.1%4.5%4.4%66.8%67.2%66.8%
March 20224.6%4.2%4.2%66.4%66.7%66.4%
April 20225.0%4.2%3.9%66.3%66.5%66.2%
May 20224.6%4.0%3.9%66.7%67.2%66.7%
June 20224.7%3.9%3.5%66.9%67.3%66.6%
July 20224.2%3.6%3.4%66.9%66.8%66.2%
August 20223.7%3.3%3.5%66.7%66.5%66.2%
September 20224.2%3.5%3.5%66.9%66.5%66.2%
October 20223.6%3.1%3.3%66.4%66.1%66.2%
November 20222.9%3.0%3.3%66.4%66.4%66.8%
December 20224.0%3.4%3.3%66.8%66.6%67.0%
January 20234.7%4.1%4.0%66.4%65.8%65.6%
February 20234.9%4.1%3.9%67.0%66.5%67.0%
March 20235.1%4.2%3.8%67.3%66.9%66.9%
April 20234.2%3.9%3.8%66.2%66.1%66.6%
May 20234.3%3.9%3.5%67.5%67.2%67.1%
June 20234.5%3.7%3.4%67.3%66.8%66.8%
July 20234.6%4.3%3.6%66.6%66.5%66.5%
August 20234.2%3.9%3.7%65.8%65.8%66.4%
September 20234.0%3.6%3.5%66.0%65.8%66.2%
October 20234.6%4.0%3.6%66.7%66.3%66.6%
November 20234.3%4.0%3.6%67.2%67.0%67.1%
December 20234.7%4.0%3.8%66.9%67.1%67.1%
January 20245.6%4.4%4.5%65.8%65.7%65.7%
February 20245.1%4.3%4.0%67.6%67.6%67.3%
March 20245.2%4.5%4.1%67.0%66.9%66.9%
April 20244.7%4.2%4.2%67.6%67.4%66.8%
May 20244.5%4.0%3.9%67.7%67.6%67.1%
June 20243.6%3.8%3.9%67.4%67.6%66.9%
July 20245.3%4.4%4.1%67.1%66.8%67.0%
August 20244.3%4.1%4.1%66.8%66.8%66.7%
September 20244.2%3.8%3.9%66.8%66.7%66.8%
October 20244.1%3.6%3.9%67.6%67.5%66.9%
November 20243.8%3.6%3.6%67.2%67.4%67.0%
December 20244.3%3.6%3.8%67.8%67.8%67.5%
January 20255.0%4.2%4.5%66.7%66.6%66.6%
February 20255.5%4.4%4.4%67.3%67.4%67.2%
March 20254.4%4.3%4.3%66.9%67.0%67.0%
April 20255.0%4.3%4.1%67.8%67.5%67.1%
May 20254.1%3.7%4.0%67.9%67.9%67.4%
June 20254.7%4.0%4.2%67.9%67.6%67.1%
July 20255.0%4.3%4.2%67.4%67.1%66.9%
August 20254.8%4.3%4.3%66.7%66.6%66.4%
September 20254.8%4.0%4.3%67.0%66.8%66.7%
October 20254.3%3.9%4.2%66.9%66.8%66.7%
November 20254.3%3.9%4.0%66.7%66.6%66.8%
December 20254.2%3.6%3.9%67.0%66.8%67.1%
January 20265.2%4.7%4.5%66.6%66.4%66.1%
February 20265.1%4.8%4.6%67.4%67.5%67.4%
March 20264.8%4.0%4.5%67.2%66.9%67.1%
April 20264.4%4.3%4.6%66.7%66.8%66.7%
May 20264.3%3.7%4.3%67.6%67.4%67.0%
June 20264.7%4.3%4.3%67.6%67.4%67.1%
July 20265.1%4.4%4.4%67.5%67.1%66.7%
August 20265.0%4.4%4.6%67.0%66.7%66.6%
September 20264.8%4.4%4.6%66.7%66.6%66.5%
Employed people as an index, January 2019 = 100, and youth unemployment
MonthEmployed people, index, CairnsEmployed people, index, QueenslandEmployed people, index, AustraliaYouth unemployment rate (15–24), Cairns
January 2019100.0100.0100.014.5%
February 2019102.4102.2101.716.9%
March 2019102.2101.9101.518.3%
April 2019102.7102.0101.916.1%
May 2019103.5102.6102.517.4%
June 2019102.9101.9102.317.2%
July 2019102.1102.8102.216.6%
August 2019101.8102.3102.118.3%
September 2019103.1103.4102.617.6%
October 2019103.0103.0102.316.9%
November 2019104.2104.0103.015.5%
December 2019104.7104.2103.814.6%
January 2020103.8102.1101.618.6%
February 2020105.8104.3103.416.9%
March 2020104.3103.4103.017.7%
April 202098.697.998.319.6%
May 202096.495.396.621.2%
June 202099.197.698.120.6%
July 2020100.498.998.821.4%
August 2020103.0101.599.517.3%
September 2020103.8102.499.517.7%
October 2020105.0103.6100.716.6%
November 2020105.1103.7101.914.9%
December 2020106.5105.2102.814.7%
January 2021104.6103.2100.715.8%
February 2021106.6105.6103.115.6%
March 2021106.8105.7103.313.7%
April 2021106.8105.5103.112.4%
May 2021108.2107.1104.511.8%
June 2021108.8107.5104.311.9%
July 2021108.7107.4104.111.5%
August 2021107.5106.5102.712.0%
September 2021108.3107.8101.911.2%
October 2021108.2107.8101.713.1%
November 2021109.0108.8105.112.3%
December 2021109.5109.5106.311.5%
January 2022107.7107.8104.212.6%
February 2022110.3110.8107.012.6%
March 2022110.5110.6106.811.2%
April 2022110.0110.5107.012.0%
May 2022111.3112.1108.110.8%
June 2022111.8112.5108.511.0%
July 2022112.6112.4108.29.8%
August 2022113.0112.5108.38.9%
September 2022112.8112.4108.69.9%
October 2022113.0112.6109.18.3%
November 2022113.9113.5110.26.8%
December 2022113.7113.7110.79.2%
January 2023112.3111.8108.111.2%
February 2023113.4113.4110.811.9%
March 2023113.9114.3111.212.5%
April 2023113.3113.6110.810.6%
May 2023115.6115.7112.310.3%
June 2023115.3115.6112.010.5%
July 2023114.1114.6111.710.7%
August 2023113.5114.1111.79.6%
September 2023114.2114.9112.09.2%
October 2023114.9115.5112.610.9%
November 2023116.3117.0113.610.4%
December 2023115.7117.4113.711.7%
January 2024112.7114.8110.713.9%
February 2024116.7118.5114.112.7%
March 2024115.7117.3113.613.0%
April 2024117.5118.8113.511.7%
May 2024118.1119.4114.511.1%
June 2024118.7119.9114.48.8%
July 2024116.2117.9114.412.6%
August 2024117.1118.5114.110.2%
September 2024117.4119.0114.89.9%
October 2024119.0120.8114.99.3%
November 2024118.8120.9115.78.6%
December 2024119.3121.7116.69.8%
January 2025116.8119.0114.311.4%
February 2025117.3120.5115.812.7%
March 2025118.2120.2115.810.5%
April 2025119.2121.4116.212.0%
May 2025120.5122.9116.910.3%
June 2025120.0122.4116.411.8%
July 2025118.8121.2116.312.8%
August 2025117.9120.4115.612.3%
September 2025118.7121.4116.112.4%
October 2025119.1121.6116.511.0%
November 2025118.9121.5116.910.8%
December 2025119.5122.3117.810.4%
January 2026117.9120.6115.412.6%
February 2026119.5122.6117.812.6%
March 2026119.7122.9117.711.8%
April 2026119.4122.3117.011.1%
May 2026121.2124.5118.010.6%
June 2026120.9124.0118.411.0%
July 2026120.3123.4117.711.8%
August 2026119.6122.8117.511.8%
September 2026119.4122.9117.411.4%

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 Cairns, from Jobs and Skills Australia's monthly nowcast, to September 2026.

Figure 4.1: Largest occupations by estimated employment, Cairns, September 2026The 10 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026, of an estimated 144,607 people employed in Cairns across all occupations. The table adds September 2025 and the change. 5 of Cairns' 10 largest occupations are in national shortage.
Sales Assistants (General): 6,345Sales Assistants (General)6,345Registered Nurses: 5,346Registered Nurses5,346Aged and Disabled Carers: 4,642Aged and Disabled Carers4,642General Clerks: 3,345General Clerks3,345Retail Managers: 2,469Retail Managers2,469Electricians: 2,330Electricians2,330Child Carers: 2,053Child Carers2,053Education Aides: 1,925Education Aides1,925Truck Drivers: 1,874Truck Drivers1,874Commercial Cleaners: 1,852Commercial Cleaners1,852

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

Show the numbers
Largest occupations by estimated employment, Cairns, September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025ChangeNational shortage, 2026
Sales Assistants (General)6,3456,200+2.3%
Registered Nurses5,3465,130+4.2%Shortage
Aged and Disabled Carers4,6424,294+8.1%Shortage
General Clerks3,3453,244+3.1%
Retail Managers2,4692,245+10.0%
Electricians2,3302,500−6.8%Shortage
Child Carers2,0531,927+6.5%Shortage
Education Aides1,9251,621+18.8%
Truck Drivers1,8741,744+7.5%Shortage
Commercial Cleaners1,8521,626+13.9%
Figure 4.2: Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Cairns, 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.
Fire and Emergency Workers: +32.7%Fire and Emergency Workers+32.7%Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers: +26.1%Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers+26.1%School Principals: +23.7%School Principals+23.7%Glaziers: +22.9%Glaziers+22.9%Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers: +22.3%Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers+22.3%Counsellors: −17.7%Counsellors−17.7%Hairdressers: −17.8%Hairdressers−17.8%Automobile Drivers: −18.4%Automobile Drivers−18.4%Ticket Salespersons: −19.3%Ticket Salespersons−19.3%Crop Farm Workers: −20.9%Crop Farm Workers−20.9%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Cairns, September 2025 to September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025Change
Fire and Emergency Workers824621+32.7%
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers797632+26.1%
School Principals579468+23.7%
Glaziers472384+22.9%
Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers1,2991,062+22.3%
Counsellors482586−17.7%
Hairdressers568691−17.8%
Automobile Drivers753923−18.4%
Ticket Salespersons588729−19.3%
Crop Farm Workers684865−20.9%
Figure 4.3: People employed in the largest occupations, Cairns, 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
  • General Clerks
  • Retail Managers
02k4k6k8kSep 2022Sep 2024Sep 2026Sales Assistants (General)Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2021: 7,580Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2026: 6,3456,345Registered NursesRegistered Nurses, Sep 2021: 3,145Registered Nurses, Sep 2026: 5,3465,346Aged and Disabled CarersAged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2021: 3,179Aged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2026: 4,6424,642General ClerksGeneral Clerks, Sep 2021: 3,433General Clerks, Sep 2026: 3,3453,345Retail ManagersRetail Managers, Sep 2021: 2,480Retail Managers, Sep 2026: 2,4692,469

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
People employed in the largest occupations, Cairns, September 2021 to September 2026
MonthSales Assistants (General)Registered NursesAged and Disabled CarersGeneral ClerksRetail Managers
September 20217,5803,1453,1793,4332,480
September 20227,3493,6893,4933,2792,910
September 20237,0074,2893,6093,0132,860
September 20246,5894,5723,9263,1232,383
September 20256,2005,1304,2943,2442,245
September 20266,3455,3464,6423,3452,469

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 Cairns, 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, CairnsPeople in employment services at each snapshot, November 2024 to June 2026.
12k12.5k13k13.5kMar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026CairnsCairns, Jun 2026: 13,18513,185

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, Cairns, against Queensland and AustraliaShare of people in employment services who had been in services for 12 months or more, and in Cairns for 24 months or more, November 2024 to June 2026.
  • Cairns, 12 months or more
  • Cairns, 24 months or more
  • Queensland, 12 months or more
  • Australia, 12 months or more
40%50%60%70%Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Cairns, 12 months or moreCairns, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 68.8%68.8%Cairns, 24 months or moreCairns, 24 months or more, Jun 2026: 49.8%49.8%Queensland, 12 months or moreQueensland, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 64.2%64.2%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, Cairns, 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, CairnsIn services 12 months or more, CairnsIn services 24 months or more, CairnsIn services 12 months or more, QueenslandIn services 12 months or more, Australia
November 202412,27569.1%51.9%61.1%60.8%
December 202412,34568.5%51.4%61.0%60.7%
January 202512,68068.2%50.7%60.9%60.5%
February 202513,13067.5%49.8%60.8%60.3%
March 202513,25567.4%49.3%61.0%60.3%
April 202513,34567.4%48.7%60.7%60.5%
May 202513,30567.2%48.4%60.8%60.7%
June 202513,23067.6%49.1%61.5%61.3%
July 202513,24567.8%49.3%61.8%61.7%
August 202513,05068.3%49.6%62.3%62.2%
September 202513,00568.7%50.0%62.6%62.4%
October 202512,86568.8%49.9%62.8%62.7%
November 202512,78568.7%50.1%62.6%62.5%
December 202512,68568.9%50.1%62.7%62.6%
January 202613,04568.8%49.7%62.6%62.7%
February 202613,25068.9%49.4%62.9%63.1%
March 202613,35568.7%49.5%63.2%63.4%
April 202613,37068.8%49.7%63.6%63.8%
May 202613,31069.0%49.8%64.0%64.2%
June 202613,18568.8%49.8%64.2%64.4%
Figure 5.3: People in employment services by age group, Cairns, June 2026The 5 age groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
Under 25: 3,060Under 253,06025–34: 2,98025–342,98035–44: 2,61535–442,61545–54: 2,45045–542,45055 and over: 2,07555 and over2,075

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by age group, Cairns, June 2026
Age groupPeopleShare
Under 253,06023%
25–342,98023%
35–442,61520%
45–542,45019%
55 and over2,07516%
Figure 5.4: People in employment services by allowance group, Cairns, June 2026The 3 allowance groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
JobSeeker Payment: 9,820JobSeeker Payment9,820Youth Allowance (other): 1,835Youth Allowance (other)1,835Other: 1,530Other1,530

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by allowance group, Cairns, June 2026
Allowance groupPeopleShare
JobSeeker Payment9,82074%
Youth Allowance (other)1,83514%
Other1,53012%

6 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in Tropical North Queensland, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in this ABS area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in Tropical North Queensland
1,227
ViewJobs, 29 Oct 2026[9]
Figure 6.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Tropical North QueenslandThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 29 Oct 2026.
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 248Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics248Hospitality & Tourism: 196Hospitality & Tourism196Healthcare & Medical: 175Healthcare & Medical175Community Services & Development: 100Community Services & Development100Retail & Consumer Products: 85Retail & Consumer Products85Education & Training: 54Education & Training54Trades & Services: 51Trades & Services51Self Employment: 48Self Employment48

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Tropical North Queensland
ClassificationLive jobs
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics248
Hospitality & Tourism196
Healthcare & Medical175
Community Services & Development100
Retail & Consumer Products85
Education & Training54
Trades & Services51
Self Employment48

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, Cairns, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)Average salary and wages per earner, 2021–22 to 2023–24 income years (ATO), against Queensland and Australia.
  • Cairns
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$55k$60k$65k$70k$75k$80k2021–222022–232023–24CairnsCairns, 2021–22: $59,603Cairns, 2022–23: $62,486Cairns, 2023–24: $66,122$66,122QueenslandQueensland, 2021–22: $66,874Queensland, 2022–23: $70,435Queensland, 2023–24: $74,356$74,356AustraliaAustralia, 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, Cairns, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)
Income yearCairnsQueenslandAustralia
2021–22$59,603$66,874$69,980
2022–23$62,486$70,435$73,647
2023–24$66,122$74,356$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 Cairns' job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in Cairns?

2,209 online job ads a month were placed in Cairns, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is Cairns' job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in Cairns were up 2.7% on a year earlier, from 2,150 to 2,209 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were up 0.1% across Queensland and up 0.6% across Australia.

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

Which jobs are most in demand in Cairns?

General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists had the most online ads, 171 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (165) and sales assistants and salespersons (145). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for ICT professionals rose fastest, up 50.0%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in Cairns?

The unemployment rate in Cairns was 4.8% in September 2026, against 4.4% across Queensland. A year earlier it was 4.8%. 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 Cairns?

No, it is about the same. Unemployment in Cairns was about the same as a year earlier in September 2026, at 4.8% against 4.8% (ABS modelled estimates). Across Queensland it was up 0.4 points.

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

What are the biggest occupations in Cairns?

An estimated 6,345 of the 144,607 people employed in Cairns in September 2026 worked as Sales Assistants (General), the largest occupation there. Next were Registered Nurses (5,346 people) and Aged and Disabled Carers (4,642 people). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Which occupations are growing fastest in Cairns?

Among occupations with at least 200 people employed in both September 2025 and September 2026, Fire and Emergency Workers grew fastest in Cairns, up 32.7% to an estimated 824 people employed, followed by Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers (up 26.1%) and School Principals (up 23.7%). 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 Cairns?

13,185 people in Cairns were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier. 68.8% 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 Cairns been in Workforce Australia employment services?

At 30 June 2026, 68.8% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 49.8% for two years or more, against 64.2% and 43.1% across Queensland.

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

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in Cairns?

At least 1,227 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Cairns, as of 29 Oct 2026. They are the ads in Tropical North Queensland, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in the area. The most advertised are Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (248), Hospitality & Tourism (196) and Healthcare & Medical (175).

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
Cairns here is ABS SA4 306 Cairns. 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 29 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, 29 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). Cairns job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/qld/cairns

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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