ViewJobs
Sign In

Job market report

Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast, 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 309 Gold Coast
Sources
JSA, ABS, DEWR, ATO and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Shrinking: online job ads in the Gold Coast were down 8.4% on a year earlier, from 5,977 to 5,473 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. Sales assistants and salespersons had the most online ads, 417 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (380) and carers and aides (262).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 24.7%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. The unemployment rate in the Gold Coast was 3.5% in September 2026, against 4.4% across Queensland.

    A year earlier it was 2.9%. These are the ABS's modelled estimates for the month, not seasonally adjusted.[3][4]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation, monthly →

  4. 15,530 people in the Gold Coast were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 0.3% on a year earlier.

    59.0% of them had been in employment services for 12 months or more.[5]

    Section 5: Job seekers in employment services →
Unemployment rate
3.5%
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.6 points on September 2025[3]
Employed people
398,089
ABS, September 2026 · up 1.1% since September 2025[3]
Online job ads a month
5,473
JSA, September 2026 · down 8.4% since September 2025[1]
People in Workforce Australia employment services
15,530
DEWR, June 2026 · up 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.

Gold Coast
−8.4%
5,473 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, Gold CoastThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
4.5k5k5.5k6k6.5k7kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026Gold CoastGold Coast, Sep 2026: 5,4735,473

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Gold Coast
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20236,550
November 20236,133
December 20235,298
January 20245,350
February 20245,374
March 20246,049
April 20245,736
May 20245,772
June 20245,630
July 20245,757
August 20245,802
September 20246,074
October 20246,244
November 20246,087
December 20245,241
January 20255,195
February 20255,118
March 20255,599
April 20255,163
May 20255,282
June 20255,418
July 20255,753
August 20255,766
September 20255,977
October 20256,083
November 20255,920
December 20255,145
January 20265,091
February 20265,079
March 20265,640
April 20265,163
May 20265,065
June 20264,896
July 20265,125
August 20265,241
September 20265,473

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, Gold CoastThe 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: +13.0%Food trades+13.0%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +6.9%Hospitality, retail and service managers+6.9%Corporate managers: +2.8%Corporate managers+2.8%Other labourers: 0.0%Other labourers0.0%Hospitality workers: −0.5%Hospitality workers−0.5%Sales assistants and salespersons: −2.1%Sales assistants and salespersons−2.1%Automotive and engineering trades: −2.8%Automotive and engineering trades−2.8%Drivers and storepersons: −6.9%Drivers and storepersons−6.9%Business, finance and human resource professionals: −8.9%Business, finance and human resource professionals−8.9%Carers and aides: −20.6%Carers and aides−20.6%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −21.3%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−21.3%Medical practitioners and nurses: −29.7%Medical practitioners and nurses−29.7%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Gold Coast
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Sales assistants and salespersons417426−2.1%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists380483−21.3%
Carers and aides262330−20.6%
Hospitality, retail and service managers248232+6.9%
Other labourers2332330.0%
Food trades209185+13.0%
Automotive and engineering trades207213−2.8%
Medical practitioners and nurses204290−29.7%
Drivers and storepersons202217−6.9%
Hospitality workers195196−0.5%
Corporate managers185180+2.8%
Business, finance and human resource professionals163179−8.9%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals163169−3.6%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians149138+8.0%
Sales representatives and agents148182−18.7%
Other clerical and administrative workers147154−4.5%
Legal, social and welfare professionals144148−2.7%
Construction, production and distribution managers135125+8.0%
Numerical clerks131139−5.8%
Cleaners and laundry workers124148−16.2%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries113127−11.0%
Mobile plant operators106102+3.9%
Construction trades97117−17.1%
Engineers9677+24.7%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades87870.0%
Machine and stationary plant operators8183−2.4%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals7790−14.4%
Sports, travel and personal service workers7199−28.3%
Factory process workers6785−21.2%
Education professionals59590.0%
ICT professionals5860−3.3%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades5860−3.3%
Construction and mining labourers5154−5.6%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers4858−17.2%
Health and welfare support workers4882−41.5%
Food preparation assistants4253−20.8%
Transport and design professionals, and architects4152−21.2%
Health, education, ICT and other managers3542−16.7%
Sales support workers2937−21.6%
Arts and media professionals2625+4.0%
Science professionals and veterinarians2325−8.0%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers2331−25.8%
Protective service workers2221+4.8%
Farm, forestry and garden workers1924−20.8%
Information professionals1722−22.7%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers1715+13.3%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators1319−31.6%
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation, monthly

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

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Gold Coast, from January 2019Share of the labour force unemployed each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
  • Australia
0%2.5%5%7.5%10%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026Gold CoastGold Coast, Sep 2026: 3.5%3.5%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, Gold Coast, from January 2019Share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
  • Australia
60%62.5%65%67.5%70%Sep 2019Jun 2021Mar 2023Dec 2024Sep 2026Gold CoastGold Coast, Sep 2026: 67.9%67.9%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, Gold Coast, 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.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
  • Australia

Index (Jan 2019 = 100)

90100110120130Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026Gold CoastGold Coast, Sep 2026: 121.9121.9QueenslandQueensland, 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, Gold CoastThe 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: 7.7%7.7%All agesAll ages, Sep 2026: 3.5%3.5%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 3.1 to 3.4: Labour force each month, Gold Coast, 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, Gold CoastUnemployment rate, QueenslandUnemployment rate, AustraliaParticipation rate, Gold CoastParticipation rate, QueenslandParticipation rate, Australia
January 20195.3%6.3%5.4%67.6%65.0%65.1%
February 20195.0%6.1%5.4%68.8%66.2%66.1%
March 20195.3%6.5%5.4%68.6%66.1%65.8%
April 20195.0%6.0%5.3%68.2%65.7%65.9%
May 20195.6%6.1%5.1%68.8%66.1%66.1%
June 20195.5%6.3%5.1%68.0%65.7%65.9%
July 20194.9%6.0%5.2%68.1%66.0%65.8%
August 20195.4%6.2%5.3%67.8%65.7%65.7%
September 20195.5%6.1%5.1%68.6%66.3%65.8%
October 20195.1%6.0%5.1%67.9%65.8%65.5%
November 20194.6%5.5%4.8%68.2%66.0%65.7%
December 20194.2%5.1%4.8%67.9%65.7%66.2%
January 20205.5%6.5%5.7%65.8%65.3%65.2%
February 20205.3%6.1%5.5%66.8%66.3%66.2%
March 20204.6%5.9%5.5%65.7%65.4%65.8%
April 20207.0%7.0%6.4%62.6%62.7%63.4%
May 20208.1%7.7%6.9%61.2%61.4%62.5%
June 20208.5%7.8%7.2%63.0%62.9%63.8%
July 20209.1%8.3%7.3%64.5%64.0%64.3%
August 20207.4%7.1%6.8%65.3%64.8%64.4%
September 20207.1%7.1%6.7%65.8%65.4%64.4%
October 20207.6%7.2%6.7%66.8%66.1%65.1%
November 20206.8%6.7%6.3%66.3%65.7%65.6%
December 20206.1%6.6%6.2%67.2%66.5%66.1%
January 20216.4%7.3%6.8%66.0%65.7%65.1%
February 20216.3%6.7%6.3%67.4%66.7%66.3%
March 20215.8%6.3%6.0%67.1%66.4%66.2%
April 20215.1%6.0%5.6%66.3%66.0%65.7%
May 20214.5%5.4%5.0%66.9%66.5%66.2%
June 20214.5%5.2%4.9%67.0%66.5%66.0%
July 20214.4%5.1%4.7%66.9%66.3%65.7%
August 20213.9%5.0%4.6%65.8%65.7%64.7%
September 20214.0%4.7%4.6%66.7%66.1%64.2%
October 20213.9%4.9%5.0%66.6%66.1%64.3%
November 20213.6%4.2%4.3%67.1%66.3%65.9%
December 20213.8%4.2%4.0%67.9%66.5%66.4%
January 20223.8%4.7%4.5%66.4%65.6%65.2%
February 20223.7%4.5%4.4%68.4%67.2%66.8%
March 20223.5%4.2%4.2%67.9%66.7%66.4%
April 20223.0%4.2%3.9%67.3%66.5%66.2%
May 20222.8%4.0%3.9%68.1%67.2%66.7%
June 20223.1%3.9%3.5%68.5%67.3%66.6%
July 20222.6%3.6%3.4%67.9%66.8%66.2%
August 20222.1%3.3%3.5%67.4%66.5%66.2%
September 20222.6%3.5%3.5%67.6%66.5%66.2%
October 20222.4%3.1%3.3%67.4%66.1%66.2%
November 20222.2%3.0%3.3%67.7%66.4%66.8%
December 20222.6%3.4%3.3%68.0%66.6%67.0%
January 20233.1%4.1%4.0%66.9%65.8%65.6%
February 20232.7%4.1%3.9%67.4%66.5%67.0%
March 20232.9%4.2%3.8%67.9%66.9%66.9%
April 20233.3%3.9%3.8%67.6%66.1%66.6%
May 20233.1%3.9%3.5%68.6%67.2%67.1%
June 20232.7%3.7%3.4%68.0%66.8%66.8%
July 20233.1%4.3%3.6%67.3%66.5%66.5%
August 20233.1%3.9%3.7%66.8%65.8%66.4%
September 20232.7%3.6%3.5%66.8%65.8%66.2%
October 20233.2%4.0%3.6%67.4%66.3%66.6%
November 20233.0%4.0%3.6%68.2%67.0%67.1%
December 20233.1%4.0%3.8%68.6%67.1%67.1%
January 20243.8%4.4%4.5%67.0%65.7%65.7%
February 20243.0%4.3%4.0%68.9%67.6%67.3%
March 20243.9%4.5%4.1%68.4%66.9%66.9%
April 20243.1%4.2%4.2%68.8%67.4%66.8%
May 20243.0%4.0%3.9%68.9%67.6%67.1%
June 20242.9%3.8%3.9%68.9%67.6%66.9%
July 20243.0%4.4%4.1%67.7%66.8%67.0%
August 20243.5%4.1%4.1%68.3%66.8%66.7%
September 20242.8%3.8%3.9%68.0%66.7%66.8%
October 20242.8%3.6%3.9%69.1%67.5%66.9%
November 20243.0%3.6%3.6%69.2%67.4%67.0%
December 20242.8%3.6%3.8%69.7%67.8%67.5%
January 20253.1%4.2%4.5%68.1%66.6%66.6%
February 20253.2%4.4%4.4%68.9%67.4%67.2%
March 20253.4%4.3%4.3%68.4%67.0%67.0%
April 20253.2%4.3%4.1%69.0%67.5%67.1%
May 20252.6%3.7%4.0%69.3%67.9%67.4%
June 20253.0%4.0%4.2%69.2%67.6%67.1%
July 20253.6%4.3%4.2%68.6%67.1%66.9%
August 20253.3%4.3%4.3%67.9%66.6%66.4%
September 20252.9%4.0%4.3%68.1%66.8%66.7%
October 20253.0%3.9%4.2%68.2%66.8%66.7%
November 20253.2%3.9%4.0%68.1%66.6%66.8%
December 20252.7%3.6%3.9%68.3%66.8%67.1%
January 20263.2%4.7%4.5%67.6%66.4%66.1%
February 20263.5%4.8%4.6%68.8%67.5%67.4%
March 20262.6%4.0%4.5%68.2%66.9%67.1%
April 20263.4%4.3%4.6%68.3%66.8%66.7%
May 20262.5%3.7%4.3%68.9%67.4%67.0%
June 20263.4%4.3%4.3%69.0%67.4%67.1%
July 20263.4%4.4%4.4%68.4%67.1%66.7%
August 20263.5%4.4%4.6%68.0%66.7%66.6%
September 20263.5%4.4%4.6%67.9%66.6%66.5%
Employed people as an index, January 2019 = 100, and youth unemployment
MonthEmployed people, index, Gold CoastEmployed people, index, QueenslandEmployed people, index, AustraliaYouth unemployment rate (15–24), Gold Coast
January 2019100.0100.0100.012.3%
February 2019102.3102.2101.711.8%
March 2019101.8101.9101.512.7%
April 2019101.7102.0101.912.1%
May 2019102.2102.6102.513.4%
June 2019101.3101.9102.313.3%
July 2019102.3102.8102.212.0%
August 2019101.5102.3102.113.0%
September 2019102.8103.4102.613.1%
October 2019102.3103.0102.312.2%
November 2019103.5104.0103.011.1%
December 2019103.7104.2103.810.4%
January 202099.2102.1101.613.7%
February 2020101.3104.3103.413.1%
March 2020100.5103.4103.011.3%
April 202093.597.998.316.3%
May 202090.495.396.618.2%
June 202092.897.698.118.8%
July 202094.498.998.819.7%
August 202097.5101.599.515.7%
September 202098.6102.499.514.9%
October 202099.8103.6100.715.5%
November 2020100.0103.7101.913.8%
December 2020102.2105.2102.812.3%
January 2021100.2103.2100.713.0%
February 2021102.7105.6103.112.4%
March 2021102.8105.7103.311.4%
April 2021102.4105.5103.19.9%
May 2021104.2107.1104.58.7%
June 2021104.6107.5104.38.8%
July 2021104.6107.4104.18.9%
August 2021103.6106.5102.78.4%
September 2021105.0107.8101.98.7%
October 2021105.1107.8101.78.8%
November 2021106.4108.8105.18.2%
December 2021107.6109.5106.38.7%
January 2022105.5107.8104.28.7%
February 2022109.1110.8107.08.5%
March 2022108.8110.6106.88.0%
April 2022108.6110.5107.06.7%
May 2022110.5112.1108.16.1%
June 2022110.9112.5108.56.7%
July 2022110.7112.4108.25.7%
August 2022110.9112.5108.34.7%
September 2022110.9112.4108.65.8%
October 2022111.1112.6109.15.1%
November 2022112.2113.5110.24.6%
December 2022112.5113.7110.75.6%
January 2023110.5111.8108.16.9%
February 2023112.1113.4110.86.1%
March 2023113.0114.3111.26.7%
April 2023112.4113.6110.87.6%
May 2023114.6115.7112.36.9%
June 2023114.3115.6112.06.0%
July 2023113.1114.6111.76.6%
August 2023112.6114.1111.76.5%
September 2023113.4114.9112.05.6%
October 2023114.0115.5112.66.9%
November 2023115.8117.0113.66.8%
December 2023116.6117.4113.77.2%
January 2024113.4114.8110.78.7%
February 2024117.8118.5114.17.1%
March 2024116.3117.3113.68.9%
April 2024118.1118.8113.57.1%
May 2024118.5119.4114.56.7%
June 2024118.9119.9114.46.4%
July 2024116.7117.9114.46.6%
August 2024117.4118.5114.17.6%
September 2024117.9119.0114.85.9%
October 2024120.1120.8114.95.9%
November 2024120.2120.9115.76.1%
December 2024121.5121.7116.65.9%
January 2025118.6119.0114.36.5%
February 2025120.2120.5115.86.9%
March 2025119.2120.2115.87.4%
April 2025120.7121.4116.27.2%
May 2025122.3122.9116.95.9%
June 2025121.7122.4116.47.0%
July 2025120.3121.2116.38.3%
August 2025119.4120.4115.68.0%
September 2025120.5121.4116.16.9%
October 2025120.8121.6116.56.9%
November 2025120.5121.5116.97.5%
December 2025121.8122.3117.86.2%
January 2026120.0120.6115.47.4%
February 2026122.0122.6117.88.2%
March 2026122.3122.9117.76.2%
April 2026121.6122.3117.07.9%
May 2026124.1124.5118.05.8%
June 2026123.4124.0118.47.5%
July 2026122.4123.4117.77.3%
August 2026121.8122.8117.57.7%
September 2026121.9122.9117.47.7%

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

Figure 4.1: Largest occupations by estimated employment, Gold Coast, September 2026The 10 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026, of an estimated 398,956 people employed in the Gold Coast across all occupations. The table adds September 2025 and the change. 5 of the Gold Coast's 10 largest occupations are in national shortage, and 1 is in shortage in regional Australia.
Sales Assistants (General): 19,016Sales Assistants (General)19,016Registered Nurses: 12,107Registered Nurses12,107Aged and Disabled Carers: 10,085Aged and Disabled Carers10,085General Clerks: 8,682General Clerks8,682Retail Managers: 7,980Retail Managers7,980Electricians: 7,876Electricians7,876Construction Managers: 6,699Construction Managers6,699Child Carers: 6,365Child Carers6,365Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers: 6,358Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers6,358Chefs: 6,103Chefs6,103

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

Show the numbers
Largest occupations by estimated employment, Gold Coast, September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025ChangeNational shortage, 2026
Sales Assistants (General)19,01618,005+5.6%
Registered Nurses12,10711,823+2.4%Shortage
Aged and Disabled Carers10,0859,784+3.1%Shortage
General Clerks8,6828,387+3.5%
Retail Managers7,9807,843+1.7%
Electricians7,8767,592+3.7%Shortage
Construction Managers6,6995,946+12.7%Regional shortage
Child Carers6,3655,914+7.6%Shortage
Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Managers6,3585,903+7.7%
Chefs6,1035,779+5.6%Shortage
Figure 4.2: Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Gold Coast, 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.
ICT Sales Assistants: +48.4%ICT Sales Assistants+48.4%Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers: +42.0%Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers+42.0%Fire and Emergency Workers: +38.4%Fire and Emergency Workers+38.4%Boat Builders and Shipwrights: +38.0%Boat Builders and Shipwrights+38.0%Glaziers: +33.0%Glaziers+33.0%Surveyors and Spatial Scientists: −24.2%Surveyors and Spatial Scientists−24.2%Veterinary Nurses: −26.2%Veterinary Nurses−26.2%Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians: −27.0%Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians−27.0%Engineering Production Workers: −27.9%Engineering Production Workers−27.9%Manufacturers: −28.7%Manufacturers−28.7%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Gold Coast, September 2025 to September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025Change
ICT Sales Assistants555374+48.4%
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers1,4331,009+42.0%
Fire and Emergency Workers1,284928+38.4%
Boat Builders and Shipwrights421305+38.0%
Glaziers814612+33.0%
Surveyors and Spatial Scientists672887−24.2%
Veterinary Nurses7651,037−26.2%
Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians376515−27.0%
Engineering Production Workers419581−27.9%
Manufacturers561787−28.7%
Figure 4.3: People employed in the largest occupations, Gold Coast, 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
5k10k15k20kSep 2022Sep 2024Sep 2026Sales Assistants (General)Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2021: 18,716Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2026: 19,01619,016Registered NursesRegistered Nurses, Sep 2021: 8,857Registered Nurses, Sep 2026: 12,10712,107Aged and Disabled CarersAged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2021: 6,242Aged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2026: 10,08510,085General ClerksGeneral Clerks, Sep 2021: 8,135General Clerks, Sep 2026: 8,6828,682Retail ManagersRetail Managers, Sep 2021: 9,023Retail Managers, Sep 2026: 7,9807,980

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
People employed in the largest occupations, Gold Coast, September 2021 to September 2026
MonthSales Assistants (General)Registered NursesAged and Disabled CarersGeneral ClerksRetail Managers
September 202118,7168,8576,2428,1359,023
September 202219,0559,4367,2438,5738,629
September 202319,00910,0047,2598,7728,430
September 202418,36711,0288,6558,5638,338
September 202518,00511,8239,7848,3877,843
September 202619,01612,10710,0858,6827,980

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 Gold Coast, 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, Gold CoastPeople in employment services at each snapshot, November 2024 to June 2026.
13k14k15k16kMar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Gold CoastGold Coast, Jun 2026: 15,53015,530

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, Gold Coast, against Queensland and AustraliaShare of people in employment services who had been in services for 12 months or more, and in the Gold Coast for 24 months or more, November 2024 to June 2026.
  • Gold Coast, 12 months or more
  • Gold Coast, 24 months or more
  • Queensland, 12 months or more
  • Australia, 12 months or more
30%40%50%60%70%Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Gold Coast, 12 months or moreGold Coast, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 59.0%59.0%Gold Coast, 24 months or moreGold Coast, 24 months or more, Jun 2026: 37.5%37.5%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, Gold Coast, 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, Gold CoastIn services 12 months or more, Gold CoastIn services 24 months or more, Gold CoastIn services 12 months or more, QueenslandIn services 12 months or more, Australia
November 202413,56554.8%33.9%61.1%60.8%
December 202413,64554.6%33.7%61.0%60.7%
January 202514,12554.4%33.3%60.9%60.5%
February 202514,46054.4%33.2%60.8%60.3%
March 202515,29055.2%33.3%61.0%60.3%
April 202515,49555.1%32.7%60.7%60.5%
May 202515,62055.4%32.6%60.8%60.7%
June 202515,48056.0%32.9%61.5%61.3%
July 202515,27556.7%33.6%61.8%61.7%
August 202515,01057.2%34.0%62.3%62.2%
September 202514,96057.4%34.4%62.6%62.4%
October 202514,98057.4%34.5%62.8%62.7%
November 202514,88057.1%34.5%62.6%62.5%
December 202514,90557.3%34.8%62.7%62.6%
January 202615,27057.2%34.9%62.6%62.7%
February 202615,54557.6%35.3%62.9%63.1%
March 202615,60057.9%35.5%63.2%63.4%
April 202615,54058.6%36.3%63.6%63.8%
May 202615,57058.7%36.8%64.0%64.2%
June 202615,53059.0%37.5%64.2%64.4%
Figure 5.3: People in employment services by age group, Gold Coast, June 2026The 5 age groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
Under 25: 3,325Under 253,32525–34: 3,78525–343,78535–44: 3,13535–443,13545–54: 2,87545–542,87555 and over: 2,39055 and over2,390

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by age group, Gold Coast, June 2026
Age groupPeopleShare
Under 253,32521%
25–343,78524%
35–443,13520%
45–542,87519%
55 and over2,39015%
Figure 5.4: People in employment services by allowance group, Gold Coast, June 2026The 3 allowance groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
JobSeeker Payment: 11,920JobSeeker Payment11,920Youth Allowance (other): 1,470Youth Allowance (other)1,470Other: 2,135Other2,135

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by allowance group, Gold Coast, June 2026
Allowance groupPeopleShare
JobSeeker Payment11,92077%
Youth Allowance (other)1,4709%
Other2,13514%

6 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in the Gold Coast, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in this ABS area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the Gold Coast
1,970
ViewJobs, 29 Oct 2026[9]
Figure 6.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Gold CoastThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 29 Oct 2026.
Hospitality & Tourism: 436Hospitality & Tourism436Retail & Consumer Products: 245Retail & Consumer Products245Healthcare & Medical: 224Healthcare & Medical224Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 186Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics186Trades & Services: 93Trades & Services93Community Services & Development: 90Community Services & Development90Construction: 89Construction89Education & Training: 72Education & Training72

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Gold Coast
ClassificationLive jobs
Hospitality & Tourism436
Retail & Consumer Products245
Healthcare & Medical224
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics186
Trades & Services93
Community Services & Development90
Construction89
Education & Training72

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, Gold Coast, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)Average salary and wages per earner, 2021–22 to 2023–24 income years (ATO), against Queensland and Australia.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$60k$65k$70k$75k$80k2021–222022–232023–24Gold CoastGold Coast, 2021–22: $62,785Gold Coast, 2022–23: $66,534Gold Coast, 2023–24: $70,223$70,223QueenslandQueensland, 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, Gold Coast, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)
Income yearGold CoastQueenslandAustralia
2021–22$62,785$66,874$69,980
2022–23$66,534$70,435$73,647
2023–24$70,223$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 the Gold Coast's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in the Gold Coast?

5,473 online job ads a month were placed in the Gold Coast, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Gold Coast's job market growing or shrinking?

Shrinking: online job ads in the Gold Coast were down 8.4% on a year earlier, from 5,977 to 5,473 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 the Gold Coast?

Sales assistants and salespersons had the most online ads, 417 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (380) and carers and aides (262). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 24.7%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Gold Coast?

The unemployment rate in the Gold Coast was 3.5% in September 2026, against 4.4% across Queensland. A year earlier it was 2.9%. 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 Gold Coast?

Yes. Unemployment in the Gold Coast was up 0.6 points on a year earlier in September 2026, at 3.5% against 2.9% (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 the Gold Coast?

An estimated 19,016 of the 398,956 people employed in the Gold Coast in September 2026 worked as Sales Assistants (General), the largest occupation there. Next were Registered Nurses (12,107 people) and Aged and Disabled Carers (10,085 people). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Which occupations are growing fastest in the Gold Coast?

Among occupations with at least 200 people employed in both September 2025 and September 2026, ICT Sales Assistants grew fastest in the Gold Coast, up 48.4% to an estimated 555 people employed, followed by Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers (up 42.0%) and Fire and Emergency Workers (up 38.4%). 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 Gold Coast?

15,530 people in the Gold Coast were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 0.3% on a year earlier. 59.0% 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 Gold Coast been in Workforce Australia employment services?

At 30 June 2026, 59.0% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 37.5% 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 the Gold Coast?

At least 1,970 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the Gold Coast, as of 29 Oct 2026. They are the ads in the ViewJobs region of the same name, whose towns all sit in the area. The most advertised are Hospitality & Tourism (436), Retail & Consumer Products (245) and Healthcare & Medical (224).

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 Gold Coast here is ABS SA4 309 Gold Coast. 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). Gold Coast job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/qld/gold-coast

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.

ViewJobs

Across 85+ mastheads