ViewJobs
Sign In

Job market report

Townsville 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 Townsville, 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 318 Townsville
Sources
JSA, ABS, DEWR, ATO and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in Townsville were up 3.8% on a year earlier, from 2,268 to 2,354 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. Carers and aides had the most online ads, 152 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (149) and sales assistants and salespersons (149).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for numerical clerks rose fastest, up 48.0%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. The unemployment rate in Townsville was 5.2% in September 2026, against 4.4% across Queensland.

    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. 10,145 people in Townsville were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier.

    68.7% 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
126,229
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.8% since September 2025[3]
Online job ads a month
2,354
JSA, September 2026 · up 3.8% since September 2025[1]
People in Workforce Australia employment services
10,145
DEWR, June 2026 · down 0.5% 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.

Townsville
+3.8%
2,354 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, TownsvilleThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
2k2.2k2.4k2.6k2.8kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026TownsvilleTownsville, Sep 2026: 2,3542,354

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Townsville
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20232,741
November 20232,635
December 20232,328
January 20242,228
February 20242,154
March 20242,354
April 20242,301
May 20242,333
June 20242,278
July 20242,323
August 20242,322
September 20242,384
October 20242,458
November 20242,423
December 20242,181
January 20252,114
February 20252,002
March 20252,230
April 20252,141
May 20252,204
June 20252,166
July 20252,217
August 20252,211
September 20252,268
October 20252,333
November 20252,322
December 20252,134
January 20262,126
February 20262,114
March 20262,289
April 20262,140
May 20262,118
June 20262,059
July 20262,181
August 20262,274
September 20262,354

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, TownsvilleThe 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.
Mobile plant operators: +42.9%Mobile plant operators+42.9%Machine and stationary plant operators: +34.7%Machine and stationary plant operators+34.7%Drivers and storepersons: +26.4%Drivers and storepersons+26.4%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +19.7%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+19.7%Automotive and engineering trades: +13.3%Automotive and engineering trades+13.3%Medical practitioners and nurses: +3.3%Medical practitioners and nurses+3.3%Sales assistants and salespersons: +2.8%Sales assistants and salespersons+2.8%Other labourers: +1.1%Other labourers+1.1%Carers and aides: −1.9%Carers and aides−1.9%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −6.9%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−6.9%Hospitality, retail and service managers: −8.0%Hospitality, retail and service managers−8.0%Legal, social and welfare professionals: −12.6%Legal, social and welfare professionals−12.6%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Townsville
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Carers and aides152155−1.9%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists149160−6.9%
Sales assistants and salespersons149145+2.8%
Automotive and engineering trades145128+13.3%
Drivers and storepersons134106+26.4%
Medical practitioners and nurses9592+3.3%
Other labourers9392+1.1%
Legal, social and welfare professionals90103−12.6%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals8571+19.7%
Hospitality, retail and service managers8188−8.0%
Mobile plant operators7049+42.9%
Machine and stationary plant operators6649+34.7%
Education professionals6566−1.5%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians6356+12.5%
Corporate managers61610.0%
Cleaners and laundry workers5848+20.8%
Construction, production and distribution managers5538+44.7%
Business, finance and human resource professionals5249+6.1%
Food trades5255−5.5%
Engineers5136+41.7%
Construction trades49490.0%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades4555−18.2%
Health and welfare support workers4250−16.0%
Other clerical and administrative workers41410.0%
Sales representatives and agents4143−4.7%
Numerical clerks3725+48.0%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries3628+28.6%
Hospitality workers28280.0%
Construction and mining labourers2734−20.6%
Sports, travel and personal service workers2623+13.0%
Transport and design professionals, and architects2118+16.7%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers2019+5.3%
Science professionals and veterinarians1924−20.8%
Health, education, ICT and other managers1732−46.9%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades1718−5.6%
Sales support workers1713+30.8%
Factory process workers1419−26.3%
Information professionals139+44.4%
Protective service workers13130.0%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers1115−26.7%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals1013−23.1%
Food preparation assistants109+11.1%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers97+28.6%
Farm, forestry and garden workers912−25.0%
ICT professionals814−42.9%
Arts and media professionals75+40.0%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators56−16.7%
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation, monthly

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

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Townsville, from January 2019Share of the labour force unemployed each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Townsville
  • Queensland
  • Australia
2%4%6%8%10%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026TownsvilleTownsville, Sep 2026: 5.2%5.2%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, Townsville, from January 2019Share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Townsville
  • Queensland
  • Australia
60%62%64%66%68%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026TownsvilleTownsville, Sep 2026: 66.1%66.1%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, Townsville, 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.
  • Townsville
  • Queensland
  • Australia

Index (Jan 2019 = 100)

90100110120130Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026TownsvilleTownsville, Sep 2026: 118.9118.9QueenslandQueensland, 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, TownsvilleThe 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: 11.0%11.0%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, Townsville, 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, TownsvilleUnemployment rate, QueenslandUnemployment rate, AustraliaParticipation rate, TownsvilleParticipation rate, QueenslandParticipation rate, Australia
January 20197.9%6.3%5.4%62.9%65.0%65.1%
February 20197.2%6.1%5.4%63.9%66.2%66.1%
March 20198.1%6.5%5.4%64.3%66.1%65.8%
April 20197.4%6.0%5.3%63.9%65.7%65.9%
May 20197.0%6.1%5.1%64.1%66.1%66.1%
June 20197.6%6.3%5.1%64.2%65.7%65.9%
July 20197.7%6.0%5.2%64.6%66.0%65.8%
August 20197.8%6.2%5.3%64.4%65.7%65.7%
September 20197.4%6.1%5.1%64.8%66.3%65.8%
October 20197.4%6.0%5.1%64.5%65.8%65.5%
November 20196.9%5.5%4.8%64.8%66.0%65.7%
December 20196.1%5.1%4.8%64.4%65.7%66.2%
January 20207.7%6.5%5.7%65.7%65.3%65.2%
February 20207.0%6.1%5.5%66.7%66.3%66.2%
March 20206.8%5.9%5.5%65.9%65.4%65.8%
April 20207.7%7.0%6.4%63.6%62.7%63.4%
May 20208.2%7.7%6.9%62.8%61.4%62.5%
June 20208.1%7.8%7.2%64.0%62.9%63.8%
July 20209.1%8.3%7.3%65.3%64.0%64.3%
August 20207.2%7.1%6.8%65.6%64.8%64.4%
September 20207.9%7.1%6.7%66.5%65.4%64.4%
October 20207.6%7.2%6.7%66.8%66.1%65.1%
November 20207.0%6.7%6.3%66.3%65.7%65.6%
December 20207.4%6.6%6.2%67.2%66.5%66.1%
January 20217.3%7.3%6.8%65.8%65.7%65.1%
February 20217.6%6.7%6.3%67.4%66.7%66.3%
March 20216.9%6.3%6.0%66.9%66.4%66.2%
April 20216.1%6.0%5.6%66.2%66.0%65.7%
May 20216.1%5.4%5.0%67.0%66.5%66.2%
June 20215.7%5.2%4.9%66.8%66.5%66.0%
July 20215.4%5.1%4.7%66.5%66.3%65.7%
August 20215.3%5.0%4.6%66.0%65.7%64.7%
September 20215.2%4.7%4.6%66.5%66.1%64.2%
October 20215.6%4.9%5.0%66.4%66.1%64.3%
November 20215.1%4.2%4.3%66.4%66.3%65.9%
December 20214.9%4.2%4.0%66.3%66.5%66.4%
January 20225.5%4.7%4.5%65.7%65.6%65.2%
February 20225.3%4.5%4.4%67.1%67.2%66.8%
March 20224.8%4.2%4.2%66.7%66.7%66.4%
April 20224.6%4.2%3.9%66.0%66.5%66.2%
May 20224.7%4.0%3.9%67.0%67.2%66.7%
June 20225.0%3.9%3.5%67.4%67.3%66.6%
July 20224.2%3.6%3.4%67.1%66.8%66.2%
August 20223.8%3.3%3.5%65.9%66.5%66.2%
September 20224.3%3.5%3.5%66.1%66.5%66.2%
October 20223.9%3.1%3.3%65.6%66.1%66.2%
November 20223.8%3.0%3.3%65.9%66.4%66.8%
December 20223.9%3.4%3.3%65.8%66.6%67.0%
January 20235.1%4.1%4.0%65.4%65.8%65.6%
February 20234.7%4.1%3.9%65.8%66.5%67.0%
March 20234.8%4.2%3.8%66.2%66.9%66.9%
April 20234.9%3.9%3.8%65.7%66.1%66.6%
May 20234.8%3.9%3.5%66.7%67.2%67.1%
June 20234.4%3.7%3.4%66.3%66.8%66.8%
July 20235.1%4.3%3.6%65.8%66.5%66.5%
August 20235.0%3.9%3.7%65.2%65.8%66.4%
September 20234.2%3.6%3.5%64.8%65.8%66.2%
October 20234.9%4.0%3.6%65.7%66.3%66.6%
November 20234.7%4.0%3.6%66.2%67.0%67.1%
December 20234.9%4.0%3.8%66.1%67.1%67.1%
January 20245.4%4.4%4.5%64.8%65.7%65.7%
February 20245.3%4.3%4.0%66.7%67.6%67.3%
March 20245.1%4.5%4.1%65.9%66.9%66.9%
April 20245.0%4.2%4.2%66.6%67.4%66.8%
May 20244.9%4.0%3.9%66.8%67.6%67.1%
June 20244.4%3.8%3.9%66.9%67.6%66.9%
July 20245.1%4.4%4.1%66.1%66.8%67.0%
August 20245.1%4.1%4.1%66.4%66.8%66.7%
September 20244.4%3.8%3.9%65.9%66.7%66.8%
October 20244.1%3.6%3.9%66.6%67.5%66.9%
November 20244.3%3.6%3.6%66.7%67.4%67.0%
December 20244.5%3.6%3.8%67.0%67.8%67.5%
January 20255.3%4.2%4.5%65.9%66.6%66.6%
February 20255.6%4.4%4.4%66.2%67.4%67.2%
March 20255.1%4.3%4.3%66.2%67.0%67.0%
April 20255.3%4.3%4.1%66.8%67.5%67.1%
May 20254.7%3.7%4.0%67.1%67.9%67.4%
June 20255.0%4.0%4.2%67.0%67.6%67.1%
July 20255.1%4.3%4.2%66.4%67.1%66.9%
August 20254.8%4.3%4.3%65.7%66.6%66.4%
September 20255.0%4.0%4.3%66.2%66.8%66.7%
October 20254.5%3.9%4.2%65.9%66.8%66.7%
November 20254.7%3.9%4.0%65.9%66.6%66.8%
December 20254.5%3.6%3.9%65.9%66.8%67.1%
January 20265.6%4.7%4.5%65.6%66.4%66.1%
February 20266.0%4.8%4.6%66.8%67.5%67.4%
March 20265.0%4.0%4.5%66.1%66.9%67.1%
April 20265.3%4.3%4.6%66.1%66.8%66.7%
May 20264.5%3.7%4.3%66.6%67.4%67.0%
June 20265.0%4.3%4.3%66.6%67.4%67.1%
July 20265.6%4.4%4.4%66.7%67.1%66.7%
August 20265.4%4.4%4.6%66.2%66.7%66.6%
September 20265.2%4.4%4.6%66.1%66.6%66.5%
Employed people as an index, January 2019 = 100, and youth unemployment
MonthEmployed people, index, TownsvilleEmployed people, index, QueenslandEmployed people, index, AustraliaYouth unemployment rate (15–24), Townsville
January 2019100.0100.0100.017.1%
February 2019102.3102.2101.716.0%
March 2019102.2101.9101.518.0%
April 2019102.3102.0101.916.7%
May 2019103.0102.6102.515.8%
June 2019102.6101.9102.317.3%
July 2019103.2102.8102.217.5%
August 2019102.8102.3102.117.5%
September 2019104.0103.4102.616.5%
October 2019103.6103.0102.316.7%
November 2019104.7104.0103.015.6%
December 2019104.9104.2103.814.3%
January 2020105.4102.1101.617.8%
February 2020107.9104.3103.416.4%
March 2020106.9103.4103.015.6%
April 2020102.197.998.317.4%
May 2020100.395.396.618.2%
June 2020102.397.698.117.6%
July 2020103.498.998.819.0%
August 2020106.1101.599.514.8%
September 2020106.7102.499.516.0%
October 2020107.6103.6100.715.1%
November 2020107.5103.7101.913.9%
December 2020108.5105.2102.814.5%
January 2021106.5103.2100.714.2%
February 2021108.9105.6103.114.6%
March 2021109.0105.7103.313.1%
April 2021108.9105.5103.111.4%
May 2021110.3107.1104.511.3%
June 2021110.5107.5104.310.8%
July 2021110.4107.4104.110.5%
August 2021109.8106.5102.710.9%
September 2021110.7107.8101.911.0%
October 2021110.3107.8101.711.9%
November 2021111.0108.8105.111.0%
December 2021111.2109.5106.310.6%
January 2022109.6107.8104.211.9%
February 2022112.5110.8107.011.5%
March 2022112.7110.6106.810.2%
April 2022111.9110.5107.09.7%
May 2022113.5112.1108.19.8%
June 2022114.0112.5108.510.4%
July 2022114.6112.4108.28.8%
August 2022113.2112.5108.38.2%
September 2022113.1112.4108.69.1%
October 2022112.9112.6109.18.2%
November 2022113.7113.5110.27.8%
December 2022113.7113.7110.78.0%
January 2023111.8111.8108.110.8%
February 2023113.3113.4110.810.4%
March 2023114.1114.3111.210.6%
April 2023113.4113.6110.810.9%
May 2023115.5115.7112.310.2%
June 2023115.3115.6112.09.4%
July 2023113.8114.6111.710.5%
August 2023113.0114.1111.710.3%
September 2023113.7114.9112.08.5%
October 2023114.4115.5112.610.2%
November 2023115.6117.0113.610.3%
December 2023115.5117.4113.710.9%
January 2024112.8114.8110.712.1%
February 2024116.4118.5114.111.8%
March 2024115.4117.3113.611.4%
April 2024116.8118.8113.511.1%
May 2024117.5119.4114.510.6%
June 2024118.4119.9114.49.4%
July 2024116.1117.9114.410.9%
August 2024116.8118.5114.110.7%
September 2024116.9119.0114.89.2%
October 2024118.5120.8114.98.5%
November 2024118.6120.9115.78.7%
December 2024119.0121.7116.69.1%
January 2025116.3119.0114.310.8%
February 2025116.6120.5115.811.5%
March 2025117.4120.2115.810.8%
April 2025118.2121.4116.211.3%
May 2025119.7122.9116.910.2%
June 2025119.2122.4116.411.0%
July 2025118.1121.2116.311.4%
August 2025117.2120.4115.611.0%
September 2025118.0121.4116.111.5%
October 2025118.1121.6116.510.2%
November 2025118.0121.5116.910.4%
December 2025118.3122.3117.89.9%
January 2026116.7120.6115.412.2%
February 2026118.4122.6117.813.2%
March 2026118.6122.9117.711.0%
April 2026118.3122.3117.011.6%
May 2026120.3124.5118.09.7%
June 2026119.8124.0118.410.5%
July 2026119.3123.4117.711.6%
August 2026118.7122.8117.511.2%
September 2026118.9122.9117.411.0%

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

Figure 4.1: Largest occupations by estimated employment, Townsville, September 2026The 10 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026, of an estimated 126,070 people employed in Townsville across all occupations. The table adds September 2025 and the change. 7 of Townsville's 10 largest occupations are in national shortage.
Registered Nurses: 4,421Registered Nurses4,421Aged and Disabled Carers: 4,378Aged and Disabled Carers4,378Sales Assistants (General): 4,322Sales Assistants (General)4,322General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers: 2,526General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers2,526Metal Fitters and Machinists: 2,400Metal Fitters and Machinists2,400General Clerks: 2,346General Clerks2,346Child Carers: 2,143Child Carers2,143Commercial Cleaners: 2,140Commercial Cleaners2,140Electricians: 2,034Electricians2,034Motor Mechanics: 1,959Motor Mechanics1,959

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

Show the numbers
Largest occupations by estimated employment, Townsville, September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025ChangeNational shortage, 2026
Registered Nurses4,4214,244+4.2%Shortage
Aged and Disabled Carers4,3784,039+8.4%Shortage
Sales Assistants (General)4,3224,781−9.6%
General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers2,5262,312+9.3%Shortage
Metal Fitters and Machinists2,4002,421−0.9%Shortage
General Clerks2,3462,437−3.7%
Child Carers2,1432,032+5.5%Shortage
Commercial Cleaners2,1402,094+2.2%
Electricians2,0342,485−18.1%Shortage
Motor Mechanics1,9591,810+8.2%Shortage
Figure 4.2: Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Townsville, 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.
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers: +42.8%Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers+42.8%Concreters: +35.3%Concreters+35.3%Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses: +26.1%Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses+26.1%Greenkeepers: +20.1%Greenkeepers+20.1%Information Officers: +17.8%Information Officers+17.8%Crop Farm Workers: −16.0%Crop Farm Workers−16.0%Shelf Fillers: −17.1%Shelf Fillers−17.1%Cafe and Restaurant Managers: −17.7%Cafe and Restaurant Managers−17.7%Electricians: −18.1%Electricians−18.1%Counsellors: −20.3%Counsellors−20.3%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Townsville, September 2025 to September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025Change
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers1,7981,259+42.8%
Concreters1,020754+35.3%
Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses478379+26.1%
Greenkeepers538448+20.1%
Information Officers868737+17.8%
Crop Farm Workers272324−16.0%
Shelf Fillers667805−17.1%
Cafe and Restaurant Managers543660−17.7%
Electricians2,0342,485−18.1%
Counsellors455571−20.3%
Figure 4.3: People employed in the largest occupations, Townsville, 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.
  • Registered Nurses
  • Aged and Disabled Carers
  • Sales Assistants (General)
  • General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers
  • Metal Fitters and Machinists
02k4k6k8kSep 2022Sep 2024Sep 2026Registered NursesRegistered Nurses, Sep 2021: 3,025Registered Nurses, Sep 2026: 4,4214,421Aged and Disabled CarersAged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2021: 3,040Aged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2026: 4,3784,378Sales Assistants (General)Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2021: 7,894Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2026: 4,3224,322General Practitioners and Resident Medical OfficersGeneral Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers, Sep 2021: 847General Practitioners and Resident Medical Officers, Sep 2026: 2,5262,526Metal Fitters and MachinistsMetal Fitters and Machinists, Sep 2021: 1,959Metal Fitters and Machinists, Sep 2026: 2,4002,400

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
People employed in the largest occupations, Townsville, September 2021 to September 2026
MonthRegistered NursesAged and Disabled CarersSales Assistants (General)General Practitioners and Resident Medical OfficersMetal Fitters and Machinists
September 20213,0253,0407,8948471,959
September 20223,8433,2356,7261,5502,170
September 20234,1353,2725,8641,7462,371
September 20243,9633,7275,5281,9282,362
September 20254,2444,0394,7812,3122,421
September 20264,4214,3784,3222,5262,400

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 Townsville, 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, TownsvillePeople in employment services at each snapshot, November 2024 to June 2026.
9k9.5k10k10.5kMar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026TownsvilleTownsville, Jun 2026: 10,14510,145

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, Townsville, against Queensland and AustraliaShare of people in employment services who had been in services for 12 months or more, and in Townsville for 24 months or more, November 2024 to June 2026.
  • Townsville, 12 months or more
  • Townsville, 24 months or more
  • Queensland, 12 months or more
  • Australia, 12 months or more
40%50%60%70%Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Townsville, 12 months or moreTownsville, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 68.7%68.7%Townsville, 24 months or moreTownsville, 24 months or more, Jun 2026: 48.9%48.9%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, Townsville, 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, TownsvilleIn services 12 months or more, TownsvilleIn services 24 months or more, TownsvilleIn services 12 months or more, QueenslandIn services 12 months or more, Australia
November 20249,25067.4%48.3%61.1%60.8%
December 20249,28067.5%48.1%61.0%60.7%
January 20259,47567.4%47.4%60.9%60.5%
February 202510,06067.7%47.3%60.8%60.3%
March 202510,15066.7%46.4%61.0%60.3%
April 202510,19066.1%45.5%60.7%60.5%
May 202510,25066.1%45.7%60.8%60.7%
June 202510,19566.9%46.2%61.5%61.3%
July 202510,02567.3%46.3%61.8%61.7%
August 20259,94068.0%47.1%62.3%62.2%
September 20259,84068.4%47.8%62.6%62.4%
October 20259,83068.6%48.2%62.8%62.7%
November 20259,77568.0%48.1%62.6%62.5%
December 20259,84567.7%47.8%62.7%62.6%
January 202610,09067.2%47.7%62.6%62.7%
February 202610,25066.9%47.9%62.9%63.1%
March 202610,31567.1%47.6%63.2%63.4%
April 202610,22567.5%48.1%63.6%63.8%
May 202610,20568.5%48.7%64.0%64.2%
June 202610,14568.7%48.9%64.2%64.4%
Figure 5.3: People in employment services by age group, Townsville, June 2026The 5 age groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
Under 25: 2,425Under 252,42525–34: 2,41525–342,41535–44: 2,14035–442,14045–54: 1,72545–541,72555 and over: 1,43555 and over1,435

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by age group, Townsville, June 2026
Age groupPeopleShare
Under 252,42524%
25–342,41524%
35–442,14021%
45–541,72517%
55 and over1,43514%
Figure 5.4: People in employment services by allowance group, Townsville, June 2026The 3 allowance groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
JobSeeker Payment: 7,435JobSeeker Payment7,435Youth Allowance (other): 1,385Youth Allowance (other)1,385Other: 1,325Other1,325

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by allowance group, Townsville, June 2026
Allowance groupPeopleShare
JobSeeker Payment7,43573%
Youth Allowance (other)1,38514%
Other1,32513%

6 Jobs on ViewJobs now

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

Live jobs on ViewJobs in Townsville
900
ViewJobs, 29 Oct 2026[9]
Figure 6.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, TownsvilleThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 29 Oct 2026.
Retail & Consumer Products: 107Retail & Consumer Products107Community Services & Development: 98Community Services & Development98Healthcare & Medical: 92Healthcare & Medical92Hospitality & Tourism: 92Hospitality & Tourism92Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 80Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics80Trades & Services: 67Trades & Services67Mining, Resources & Energy: 53Mining, Resources & Energy53Engineering: 47Engineering47

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Townsville
ClassificationLive jobs
Retail & Consumer Products107
Community Services & Development98
Healthcare & Medical92
Hospitality & Tourism92
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics80
Trades & Services67
Mining, Resources & Energy53
Engineering47

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, Townsville, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)Average salary and wages per earner, 2021–22 to 2023–24 income years (ATO), against Queensland and Australia.
  • Townsville
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$65k$70k$75k$80k2021–222022–232023–24TownsvilleTownsville, 2021–22: $66,338Townsville, 2022–23: $69,381Townsville, 2023–24: $73,173$73,173QueenslandQueensland, 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, Townsville, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)
Income yearTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
2021–22$66,338$66,874$69,980
2022–23$69,381$70,435$73,647
2023–24$73,173$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 Townsville's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in Townsville?

2,354 online job ads a month were placed in Townsville, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is Townsville's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in Townsville were up 3.8% on a year earlier, from 2,268 to 2,354 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 Townsville?

Carers and aides had the most online ads, 152 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (149) and sales assistants and salespersons (149). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for numerical clerks rose fastest, up 48.0%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in Townsville?

The unemployment rate in Townsville was 5.2% in September 2026, against 4.4% across Queensland. 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 Townsville?

Yes. Unemployment in Townsville was up 0.2 points on a year earlier in September 2026, at 5.2% against 5.0% (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 Townsville?

An estimated 4,421 of the 126,070 people employed in Townsville in September 2026 worked as Registered Nurses, the largest occupation there. Next were Aged and Disabled Carers, with 4,378 people, and Sales Assistants (General), with 4,322 people. These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Which occupations are growing fastest in Townsville?

Among occupations with at least 200 people employed in both September 2025 and September 2026, Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers grew fastest in Townsville, up 42.8% to an estimated 1,798 people employed, followed by Concreters (up 35.3%) and Enrolled and Mothercraft Nurses (up 26.1%). 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 Townsville?

10,145 people in Townsville were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier. 68.7% 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 Townsville been in Workforce Australia employment services?

At 30 June 2026, 68.7% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 48.9% 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 Townsville?

At least 900 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Townsville, 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 Retail & Consumer Products (107) and Community Services & Development (98).

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
Townsville here is ABS SA4 318 Townsville. 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). Townsville job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/qld/townsville

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