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Job market report

Ballarat 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 Ballarat, 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 201 Ballarat
Sources
JSA, ABS, DEWR, ATO and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in Ballarat were up 9.0% on a year earlier, from 860 to 937 a month in the three months to September 2026.

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

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. Carers and aides had the most online ads, 79 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by sales assistants and salespersons (74) and medical practitioners and nurses (69).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for hospitality workers rose fastest, up 71.4%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. The unemployment rate in Ballarat was 4.1% in September 2026, against 5.0% across Victoria.

    A year earlier it was 3.8%. These are the ABS's modelled estimates for the month, not seasonally adjusted.[3][4]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation, monthly →

  4. 6,385 people in Ballarat were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 6.3% on a year earlier.

    67.6% of them had been in employment services for 12 months or more.[5]

    Section 5: Job seekers in employment services →
Unemployment rate
4.1%
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.3 points on September 2025[3]
Employed people
91,433
ABS, September 2026 · down 0.2% since September 2025[3]
Online job ads a month
937
JSA, September 2026 · up 9.0% since September 2025[1]
People in Workforce Australia employment services
6,385
DEWR, June 2026 · up 6.3% 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.

Ballarat
+9.0%
937 ads a month[1]
Victoria
+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, BallaratThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
8001k1.2k1.4kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026BallaratBallarat, Sep 2026: 937937

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Ballarat
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,352
November 20231,236
December 20231,135
January 20241,056
February 20241,076
March 20241,149
April 20241,103
May 20241,091
June 2024995
July 2024960
August 2024912
September 2024948
October 20241,010
November 2024989
December 2024909
January 2025863
February 2025879
March 2025947
April 2025901
May 2025886
June 2025857
July 2025868
August 2025844
September 2025860
October 2025879
November 2025868
December 2025803
January 2026801
February 2026829
March 2026887
April 2026838
May 2026849
June 2026850
July 2026901
August 2026899
September 2026937

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, BallaratThe 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.
Hospitality workers: +71.4%Hospitality workers+71.4%Sales assistants and salespersons: +60.9%Sales assistants and salespersons+60.9%Food trades: +33.3%Food trades+33.3%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +20.0%Hospitality, retail and service managers+20.0%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +17.5%Legal, social and welfare professionals+17.5%Business, finance and human resource professionals: +12.5%Business, finance and human resource professionals+12.5%Health and welfare support workers: +9.1%Health and welfare support workers+9.1%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +6.5%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+6.5%Medical practitioners and nurses: +1.5%Medical practitioners and nurses+1.5%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −2.9%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−2.9%Carers and aides: −7.1%Carers and aides−7.1%Automotive and engineering trades: −7.3%Automotive and engineering trades−7.3%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Ballarat
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Carers and aides7985−7.1%
Sales assistants and salespersons7446+60.9%
Medical practitioners and nurses6968+1.5%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists6668−2.9%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals4946+6.5%
Legal, social and welfare professionals4740+17.5%
Automotive and engineering trades3841−7.3%
Food trades3224+33.3%
Hospitality, retail and service managers3025+20.0%
Business, finance and human resource professionals2724+12.5%
Health and welfare support workers2422+9.1%
Hospitality workers2414+71.4%
Drivers and storepersons2422+9.1%
Other labourers2417+41.2%
Corporate managers2123−8.7%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians2114+50.0%
Construction, production and distribution managers1916+18.8%
Other clerical and administrative workers1817+5.9%
Cleaners and laundry workers1719−10.5%
Numerical clerks1617−5.9%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries1614+14.3%
Education professionals1524−37.5%
Construction trades1514+7.1%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades1511+36.4%
Sales representatives and agents1513+15.4%
Engineers1210+20.0%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1110+10.0%
Machine and stationary plant operators1112−8.3%
Health, education, ICT and other managers10100.0%
Factory process workers106+66.7%
Mobile plant operators98+12.5%
Arts and media professionals8fewer than 5n/a
Sports, travel and personal service workers89−11.1%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals67−14.3%
Science professionals and veterinarians6fewer than 5n/a
Information professionals56−16.7%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers5fewer than 5n/a
Construction and mining labourers5fewer than 5n/a
Food preparation assistants56−16.7%
ICT professionalsfewer than 58n/a
Transport and design professionals, and architectsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood tradesfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Protective service workersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Sales support workersfewer than 55n/a
Farm, forestry and garden workersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Chief executives, managing directors & legislatorsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Clerical and office support workers, couriersfewer than 55n/a
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation, monthly

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

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Ballarat, from January 2019Share of the labour force unemployed each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Victoria and Australia.
  • Ballarat
  • Victoria
  • Australia
2%4%6%8%May 2020Dec 2021Jul 2023Feb 2025Sep 2026BallaratBallarat, Sep 2026: 4.1%4.1%VictoriaVictoria, Sep 2026: 5.0%5.0%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, Ballarat, from January 2019Share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Victoria and Australia.
  • Ballarat
  • Victoria
  • Australia
55%60%65%70%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026BallaratBallarat, Sep 2026: 61.4%61.4%VictoriaVictoria, Sep 2026: 67.3%67.3%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, Ballarat, indexed to January 2019 = 100Employed people each month as an index, January 2019 = 100, against Victoria and Australia, so places of different size share one scale.
  • Ballarat
  • Victoria
  • Australia

Index (Jan 2019 = 100)

90100110120Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026BallaratBallarat, Sep 2026: 115.8115.8VictoriaVictoria, Sep 2026: 115.7115.7AustraliaAustralia, 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, BallaratThe 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%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026Aged 15–24Aged 15–24, Sep 2026: 10.8%10.8%All agesAll ages, Sep 2026: 4.1%4.1%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 3.1 to 3.4: Labour force each month, Ballarat, 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, BallaratUnemployment rate, VictoriaUnemployment rate, AustraliaParticipation rate, BallaratParticipation rate, VictoriaParticipation rate, Australia
January 20194.7%5.0%5.4%60.8%65.5%65.1%
February 20194.7%5.1%5.4%61.8%66.8%66.1%
March 20194.4%4.9%5.4%61.3%66.2%65.8%
April 20194.2%5.0%5.3%60.8%66.0%65.9%
May 20193.8%4.5%5.1%61.0%66.2%66.1%
June 20193.8%4.6%5.1%60.8%66.0%65.9%
July 20193.7%4.8%5.2%61.2%65.9%65.8%
August 20194.0%4.9%5.3%61.3%66.0%65.7%
September 20193.8%4.6%5.1%61.3%66.0%65.8%
October 20193.7%4.5%5.1%61.1%65.9%65.5%
November 20193.6%4.3%4.8%61.4%66.2%65.7%
December 20193.8%4.8%4.8%61.9%67.2%66.2%
January 20204.5%5.8%5.7%60.7%66.4%65.2%
February 20204.3%5.7%5.5%61.0%67.0%66.2%
March 20204.5%5.4%5.5%60.8%66.5%65.8%
April 20204.7%6.1%6.4%59.0%64.3%63.4%
May 20205.1%6.6%6.9%58.6%63.6%62.5%
June 20205.2%7.1%7.2%59.2%64.3%63.8%
July 20204.9%6.7%7.3%59.0%64.1%64.3%
August 20205.3%7.1%6.8%58.6%63.2%64.4%
September 20204.9%6.5%6.7%57.9%62.2%64.4%
October 20205.0%6.8%6.7%59.1%64.0%65.1%
November 20205.0%6.7%6.3%60.1%65.6%65.6%
December 20204.7%6.3%6.2%60.3%66.2%66.1%
January 20215.2%6.9%6.8%60.2%65.9%65.1%
February 20214.8%6.1%6.3%61.0%66.9%66.3%
March 20214.8%6.4%6.0%60.8%66.9%66.2%
April 20214.4%5.6%5.6%60.5%66.1%65.7%
May 20213.8%4.7%5.0%60.7%66.4%66.2%
June 20213.4%4.3%4.9%60.3%65.8%66.0%
July 20213.7%4.4%4.7%60.8%66.1%65.7%
August 20213.3%4.0%4.6%60.8%66.1%64.7%
September 20213.5%4.6%4.6%59.6%64.2%64.2%
October 20213.8%5.3%5.0%59.4%63.9%64.3%
November 20213.3%4.4%4.3%61.0%66.5%65.9%
December 20213.2%4.2%4.0%61.5%67.3%66.4%
January 20223.5%4.5%4.5%60.6%66.0%65.2%
February 20223.6%4.5%4.4%61.6%67.6%66.8%
March 20223.5%4.3%4.2%61.3%67.0%66.4%
April 20223.6%4.4%3.9%61.3%67.1%66.2%
May 20223.1%3.7%3.9%61.2%66.9%66.7%
June 20222.9%3.1%3.5%61.3%66.9%66.6%
July 20222.8%3.1%3.4%60.3%66.3%66.2%
August 20223.2%3.8%3.5%60.4%66.5%66.2%
September 20222.9%3.4%3.5%60.2%66.2%66.2%
October 20222.9%3.5%3.3%60.3%66.3%66.2%
November 20223.1%3.4%3.3%61.1%67.1%66.8%
December 20222.8%3.5%3.3%60.9%67.0%67.0%
January 20233.6%4.5%4.0%59.9%65.8%65.6%
February 20233.4%4.1%3.9%61.4%67.8%67.0%
March 20233.4%3.9%3.8%61.6%67.9%66.9%
April 20233.2%4.0%3.8%60.7%67.2%66.6%
May 20233.0%3.7%3.5%61.4%67.8%67.1%
June 20232.9%3.5%3.4%61.3%67.5%66.8%
July 20232.9%3.5%3.6%61.5%67.4%66.5%
August 20233.1%3.5%3.7%60.2%66.8%66.4%
September 20232.9%3.4%3.5%60.9%66.7%66.2%
October 20233.0%3.6%3.6%61.5%67.2%66.6%
November 20233.0%3.8%3.6%61.4%67.4%67.1%
December 20233.3%4.0%3.8%61.4%67.5%67.1%
January 20243.7%4.4%4.5%59.9%66.2%65.7%
February 20243.4%4.2%4.0%61.7%68.1%67.3%
March 20243.6%4.3%4.1%61.5%67.6%66.9%
April 20243.5%4.5%4.2%61.3%67.5%66.8%
May 20243.5%4.3%3.9%61.7%68.0%67.1%
June 20243.3%4.3%3.9%61.6%67.8%66.9%
July 20243.5%4.3%4.1%62.2%68.0%67.0%
August 20243.5%4.4%4.1%62.0%67.7%66.7%
September 20243.4%4.3%3.9%62.1%68.0%66.8%
October 20243.5%4.3%3.9%62.0%67.9%66.9%
November 20243.4%3.9%3.6%62.3%67.9%67.0%
December 20243.5%4.4%3.8%62.3%68.3%67.5%
January 20254.0%5.2%4.5%61.5%67.3%66.6%
February 20254.0%5.0%4.4%62.2%68.2%67.2%
March 20253.7%4.6%4.3%61.9%67.8%67.0%
April 20253.6%4.4%4.1%61.9%67.9%67.1%
May 20253.6%4.3%4.0%62.0%67.9%67.4%
June 20253.6%4.3%4.2%62.1%67.9%67.1%
July 20253.6%4.4%4.2%62.1%67.6%66.9%
August 20253.6%4.2%4.3%62.1%67.6%66.4%
September 20253.8%4.7%4.3%62.2%67.8%66.7%
October 20253.6%4.4%4.2%62.0%67.4%66.7%
November 20253.6%4.5%4.0%62.3%68.0%66.8%
December 20253.6%4.5%3.9%62.2%68.0%67.1%
January 20263.9%4.7%4.5%61.4%66.7%66.1%
February 20264.1%5.0%4.6%62.5%68.3%67.4%
March 20264.0%5.0%4.5%61.7%67.2%67.1%
April 20264.1%5.0%4.6%61.5%66.9%66.7%
May 20263.8%4.8%4.3%61.9%67.5%67.0%
June 20263.8%4.9%4.3%61.9%67.7%67.1%
July 20264.0%4.9%4.4%61.7%67.5%66.7%
August 20263.8%4.9%4.6%61.5%67.4%66.6%
September 20264.1%5.0%4.6%61.4%67.3%66.5%
Employed people as an index, January 2019 = 100, and youth unemployment
MonthEmployed people, index, BallaratEmployed people, index, VictoriaEmployed people, index, AustraliaYouth unemployment rate (15–24), Ballarat
January 2019100.0100.0100.012.2%
February 2019101.8102.0101.711.9%
March 2019101.5101.6101.511.0%
April 2019101.1101.3101.910.2%
May 2019101.9102.2102.58.9%
June 2019101.6101.9102.38.7%
July 2019102.6101.8102.28.3%
August 2019102.8102.0102.19.1%
September 2019103.0102.4102.68.8%
October 2019103.1102.6102.38.5%
November 2019103.8103.4103.08.3%
December 2019104.7104.6103.89.1%
January 2020102.0102.3101.611.4%
February 2020102.9103.4103.411.0%
March 2020102.6103.2103.011.5%
April 202099.499.098.311.7%
May 202098.497.496.612.6%
June 202099.298.098.112.8%
July 202099.297.998.812.3%
August 202098.396.199.512.8%
September 202097.594.999.512.1%
October 202099.797.4100.712.8%
November 2020101.499.7101.912.8%
December 2020102.3101.0102.811.9%
January 2021101.699.9100.713.3%
February 2021103.5102.1103.112.0%
March 2021103.5101.7103.311.4%
April 2021103.4101.4103.110.1%
May 2021104.6102.7104.58.5%
June 2021104.7102.1104.37.5%
July 2021105.2102.5104.18.5%
August 2021105.7102.8102.78.1%
September 2021103.499.3101.98.8%
October 2021102.898.2101.79.7%
November 2021106.3103.2105.18.1%
December 2021107.4104.8106.37.5%
January 2022105.6102.7104.28.2%
February 2022107.7105.4107.08.2%
March 2022107.5104.9106.87.7%
April 2022107.5105.1107.07.8%
May 2022108.2105.6108.16.5%
June 2022108.8106.4108.55.9%
July 2022107.2105.7108.25.8%
August 2022107.1105.5108.36.8%
September 2022107.3105.7108.65.8%
October 2022107.7106.1109.15.8%
November 2022108.8107.7110.26.2%
December 2022109.0107.9110.75.7%
January 2023106.5105.1108.17.6%
February 2023109.8109.1110.87.0%
March 2023110.3109.9111.27.0%
April 2023109.1108.8110.86.8%
May 2023110.6110.3112.36.3%
June 2023110.7110.4112.06.3%
July 2023111.3110.5111.76.6%
August 2023109.0109.7111.77.2%
September 2023110.7110.0112.07.0%
October 2023111.9110.9112.67.4%
November 2023112.0111.1113.67.6%
December 2023111.9111.4113.78.4%
January 2024108.9109.1110.79.6%
February 2024112.8112.7114.18.9%
March 2024112.6112.0113.69.3%
April 2024112.3111.8113.58.8%
May 2024113.2112.9114.58.7%
June 2024113.3112.8114.48.1%
July 2024114.4113.3114.48.4%
August 2024114.1113.0114.18.6%
September 2024114.6113.7114.88.2%
October 2024114.5113.6114.97.9%
November 2024115.1114.3115.77.5%
December 2024115.2114.5116.67.8%
January 2025113.3112.2114.39.0%
February 2025114.8114.1115.88.9%
March 2025114.9114.1115.88.0%
April 2025115.0114.6116.27.9%
May 2025115.3114.8116.97.8%
June 2025115.5115.0116.47.9%
July 2025115.8114.6116.37.7%
August 2025115.9115.0115.67.7%
September 2025116.0115.0116.18.3%
October 2025115.9114.8116.58.0%
November 2025116.7115.9116.97.9%
December 2025116.5116.0117.88.1%
January 2026114.9113.8115.49.1%
February 2026116.8116.4117.810.1%
March 2026115.7114.7117.710.3%
April 2026115.2114.3117.010.8%
May 2026116.5115.7118.09.8%
June 2026116.6116.1118.49.8%
July 2026116.2115.9117.710.3%
August 2026116.2115.9117.59.9%
September 2026115.8115.7117.410.8%

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

4 Who works here: employment by occupation

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

Figure 4.1: Largest occupations by estimated employment, Ballarat, September 2026The 10 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026, of an estimated 91,616 people employed in Ballarat across all occupations. The table adds September 2025 and the change. 4 of Ballarat's 10 largest occupations are in national shortage.
Aged and Disabled Carers: 3,720Aged and Disabled Carers3,720Registered Nurses: 3,506Registered Nurses3,506Sales Assistants (General): 3,043Sales Assistants (General)3,043Commercial Cleaners: 1,657Commercial Cleaners1,657Education Aides: 1,535Education Aides1,535Retail Managers: 1,527Retail Managers1,527Secondary School Teachers: 1,474Secondary School Teachers1,474Electricians: 1,415Electricians1,415General Clerks: 1,412General Clerks1,412Office Managers: 1,385Office Managers1,385

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

Show the numbers
Largest occupations by estimated employment, Ballarat, September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025ChangeNational shortage, 2026
Aged and Disabled Carers3,7202,996+24.2%Shortage
Registered Nurses3,5063,210+9.2%Shortage
Sales Assistants (General)3,0433,299−7.8%
Commercial Cleaners1,6571,656+0.1%
Education Aides1,5351,341+14.5%
Retail Managers1,5271,579−3.3%
Secondary School Teachers1,4741,540−4.3%Shortage
Electricians1,4151,542−8.2%Shortage
General Clerks1,4121,583−10.8%
Office Managers1,3851,559−11.2%
Figure 4.2: Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Ballarat, 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.
Aged and Disabled Carers: +24.2%Aged and Disabled Carers+24.2%Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers: +22.4%Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers+22.4%Delivery Drivers: +18.8%Delivery Drivers+18.8%Crop Farmers: +17.8%Crop Farmers+17.8%Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials: +17.5%Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials+17.5%Other Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers: −14.4%Other Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers−14.4%Gardeners: −14.6%Gardeners−14.6%Primary School Teachers: −14.8%Primary School Teachers−14.8%Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers: −16.8%Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers−16.8%Shelf Fillers: −21.0%Shelf Fillers−21.0%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Ballarat, September 2025 to September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025Change
Aged and Disabled Carers3,7202,996+24.2%
Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers843689+22.4%
Delivery Drivers847713+18.8%
Crop Farmers714606+17.8%
Sports Coaches, Instructors and Officials1,074914+17.5%
Other Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers601702−14.4%
Gardeners8591,006−14.6%
Primary School Teachers9881,159−14.8%
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers629756−16.8%
Shelf Fillers577730−21.0%
Figure 4.3: People employed in the largest occupations, Ballarat, 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.
  • Aged and Disabled Carers
  • Registered Nurses
  • Sales Assistants (General)
  • Commercial Cleaners
  • Education Aides
01k2k3k4kSep 2022Sep 2024Sep 2026Aged and Disabled CarersAged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2021: 2,108Aged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2026: 3,7203,720Registered NursesRegistered Nurses, Sep 2021: 2,331Registered Nurses, Sep 2026: 3,5063,506Sales Assistants (General)Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2021: 3,711Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2026: 3,0433,043Commercial CleanersCommercial Cleaners, Sep 2021: 905Commercial Cleaners, Sep 2026: 1,6571,657Education AidesEducation Aides, Sep 2021: 879Education Aides, Sep 2026: 1,5351,535

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Show the numbers
People employed in the largest occupations, Ballarat, September 2021 to September 2026
MonthAged and Disabled CarersRegistered NursesSales Assistants (General)Commercial CleanersEducation Aides
September 20212,1082,3313,711905879
September 20222,2992,5373,4161,110954
September 20232,1842,6543,3411,3031,115
September 20242,3622,8033,5251,4871,168
September 20252,9963,2103,2991,6561,341
September 20263,7203,5063,0431,6571,535

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 Ballarat, 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, BallaratPeople in employment services at each snapshot, November 2024 to June 2026.
5k5.5k6k6.5kMar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026BallaratBallarat, Jun 2026: 6,3856,385

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, Ballarat, against Victoria and AustraliaShare of people in employment services who had been in services for 12 months or more, and in Ballarat for 24 months or more, November 2024 to June 2026.
  • Ballarat, 12 months or more
  • Ballarat, 24 months or more
  • Victoria, 12 months or more
  • Australia, 12 months or more
40%50%60%70%Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Ballarat, 12 months or moreBallarat, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 67.6%67.6%Ballarat, 24 months or moreBallarat, 24 months or more, Jun 2026: 45.3%45.3%Victoria, 12 months or moreVictoria, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 61.6%61.6%Australia, 12 months or moreAustralia, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 64.4%64.4%

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

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 5.1 and 5.2: People in employment services at each snapshot, Ballarat, 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, BallaratIn services 12 months or more, BallaratIn services 24 months or more, BallaratIn services 12 months or more, VictoriaIn services 12 months or more, Australia
November 20245,36562.3%42.4%56.5%60.8%
December 20245,47561.6%41.6%56.5%60.7%
January 20255,69561.1%41.1%56.3%60.5%
February 20255,86061.0%41.4%56.1%60.3%
March 20255,92561.1%41.4%56.2%60.3%
April 20255,88562.0%41.7%56.6%60.5%
May 20255,98562.3%41.4%56.8%60.7%
June 20256,00563.3%41.9%57.6%61.3%
July 20256,08563.8%41.7%58.0%61.7%
August 20256,09564.3%42.1%58.7%62.2%
September 20256,10564.2%41.9%58.9%62.4%
October 20256,10564.9%42.7%59.2%62.7%
November 20256,09064.9%43.0%59.0%62.5%
December 20256,08065.2%42.8%59.2%62.6%
January 20266,23065.2%42.7%59.4%62.7%
February 20266,32565.4%42.8%59.8%63.1%
March 20266,38065.8%42.9%60.3%63.4%
April 20266,38066.3%43.7%60.7%63.8%
May 20266,38067.1%44.4%61.3%64.2%
June 20266,38567.6%45.3%61.6%64.4%
Figure 5.3: People in employment services by age group, Ballarat, June 2026The 5 age groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
Under 25: 1,585Under 251,58525–34: 1,61525–341,61535–44: 1,15035–441,15045–54: 1,03045–541,03055 and over: 99555 and over995

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by age group, Ballarat, June 2026
Age groupPeopleShare
Under 251,58525%
25–341,61525%
35–441,15018%
45–541,03016%
55 and over99516%
Figure 5.4: People in employment services by allowance group, Ballarat, June 2026The 3 allowance groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
JobSeeker Payment: 4,825JobSeeker Payment4,825Youth Allowance (other): 850Youth Allowance (other)850Other: 710Other710

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by allowance group, Ballarat, June 2026
Allowance groupPeopleShare
JobSeeker Payment4,82576%
Youth Allowance (other)85013%
Other71011%

6 Jobs on ViewJobs now

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

Live jobs on ViewJobs in Ballarat
360
ViewJobs, 30 Oct 2026[9]
Figure 6.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, BallaratThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 30 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 88Healthcare & Medical88Retail & Consumer Products: 44Retail & Consumer Products44Education & Training: 42Education & Training42Community Services & Development: 30Community Services & Development30Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 17Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics17Hospitality & Tourism: 15Hospitality & Tourism15Farming, Animals & Conservation: 13Farming, Animals & Conservation13Sport & Recreation: 13Sport & Recreation13

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Ballarat
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical88
Retail & Consumer Products44
Education & Training42
Community Services & Development30
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics17
Hospitality & Tourism15
Farming, Animals & Conservation13
Sport & Recreation13

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, Ballarat, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)Average salary and wages per earner, 2021–22 to 2023–24 income years (ATO), against Victoria and Australia.
  • Ballarat
  • Victoria
  • Australia
$60k$65k$70k$75k$80k2021–222022–232023–24BallaratBallarat, 2021–22: $61,301Ballarat, 2022–23: $64,503Ballarat, 2023–24: $67,313$67,313VictoriaVictoria, 2021–22: $68,898Victoria, 2022–23: $72,396Victoria, 2023–24: $75,049$75,049AustraliaAustralia, 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, Ballarat, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)
Income yearBallaratVictoriaAustralia
2021–22$61,301$68,898$69,980
2022–23$64,503$72,396$73,647
2023–24$67,313$75,049$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 Ballarat's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in Ballarat?

937 online job ads a month were placed in Ballarat, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is Ballarat's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in Ballarat were up 9.0% on a year earlier, from 860 to 937 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were up 0.1% across Victoria and up 0.6% across Australia.

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

Which jobs are most in demand in Ballarat?

Carers and aides had the most online ads, 79 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by sales assistants and salespersons (74) and medical practitioners and nurses (69). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for hospitality workers rose fastest, up 71.4%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in Ballarat?

The unemployment rate in Ballarat was 4.1% in September 2026, against 5.0% across Victoria. A year earlier it was 3.8%. 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 Ballarat?

Yes. Unemployment in Ballarat was up 0.3 points on a year earlier in September 2026, at 4.1% against 3.8% (ABS modelled estimates). Across Victoria it was up 0.3 points.

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

What are the biggest occupations in Ballarat?

An estimated 3,720 of the 91,616 people employed in Ballarat in September 2026 worked as Aged and Disabled Carers, the largest occupation there. Next were Registered Nurses, with 3,506 people, and Sales Assistants (General), with 3,043 people. These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

Which occupations are growing fastest in Ballarat?

Among occupations with at least 200 people employed in both September 2025 and September 2026, Aged and Disabled Carers grew fastest in Ballarat, up 24.2% to an estimated 3,720 people employed, followed by Supply, Distribution and Procurement Managers (up 22.4%) and Delivery Drivers (up 18.8%). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[6].

How many people are in Workforce Australia employment services in Ballarat?

6,385 people in Ballarat were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 6.3% on a year earlier. 67.6% 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 Ballarat been in Workforce Australia employment services?

At 30 June 2026, 67.6% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 45.3% for two years or more, against 61.6% and 38.8% across Victoria.

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

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in Ballarat?

At least 360 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Ballarat, as of 30 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 Healthcare & Medical (88), Retail & Consumer Products (44) and Education & Training (42).

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
Ballarat here is ABS SA4 201 Ballarat. The reports cover 50 areas, 42 regional ABS regions and the eight capital cities: the areas Jobs and Skills Australia publishes online job ads for.
Online job ads
Jobs and Skills Australia's Internet Vacancy Index is a monthly count of online job ads, compiled from SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia. Regional figures are three-month averages. It is not a count of ViewJobs' own ads. It counts ads, not jobs filled, by occupation and area.
State and national ads
This report reads the index's series by area, so a state or national figure here is the sum of its areas, marked as ViewJobs analysis. It can differ from the state and national totals Jobs and Skills Australia publishes separately.[2]
Small numbers
A figure under 5 ads a month is shown as "fewer than 5". A group with fewer than 5 ads a month, now or a year earlier, is left out of every change, and every ranking by change.
Unemployment
Monthly unemployment, participation and employment are the ABS's Regional Labour Force modelled estimates: the ABS combines its Labour Force Survey with administrative data to estimate each labour market region. They are in original terms, not seasonally adjusted, so every change here compares a month with the same month a year earlier. The ABS's labour market regions follow the 2011 boundaries of its SA4 regions, which differ slightly from today's in a few areas.
Employment by occupation
Jobs and Skills Australia's nowcast is experimental: its figures are model estimates of the people employed in each occupation, not a count of them, and each monthly release revises the months before it. Occupations are ANZSCO unit groups, named as Jobs and Skills Australia publishes them. The growth rankings take only occupations with at least 200 people employed at both points.[6]
People in employment services
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (or DEWR). Counts are of people by home address; the ABS area is the SA4 that address falls in. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of SA4 regions.[5]
Pay
Average salary and wages per earner come from the ATO's Taxation Statistics for individuals. An income year runs from 1 July to 30 June and the figures are published more than a year later, so none leads this report. The ATO assigns a postcode that spans regions wholly to the region holding most of it. Capital city, state and national figures are sums of SA4 regions.[10]
ABS figures
The latest ABS income and jobs figures here are for the year to 30 June 2023; population and business counts are more recent. Every figure shows its year. Change is measured from 2019: the ABS figures for 2018 and 2019 differ sharply for some industries in some areas. Industries with fewer than 1,000 employee jobs are listed but not ranked.
Jobs on ViewJobs
ViewJobs regions do not follow ABS boundaries. Section 6 counts the ads open on ViewJobs on 30 Oct 2026 in each ViewJobs region with at least 20% of its towns in this area, and counts each region whole: a region that reaches beyond the area can include ads from outside it, and a region with fewer of its towns here is left out. A classification links to its own page once it has enough ads for one.

11 References

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

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

Cite this report

ViewJobs (2026). Ballarat job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/vic/ballarat

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

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