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Job market report

Geelong 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 Geelong, 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 203 Geelong
Sources
JSA, ABS, DEWR, ATO and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in Geelong were up 6.4% on a year earlier, from 1,589 to 1,690 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, 135 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (121) and sales assistants and salespersons (121).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades rose fastest, up 87.5%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. The unemployment rate in Geelong was 3.9% in September 2026, against 5.0% across Victoria.

    A year earlier it was 3.6%. These are the ABS's modelled estimates for the month, not seasonally adjusted.[3][4]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation, monthly →

  4. At 30 June 2026, 63.2% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 41.2% for two years or more, against 61.6% and 38.8% across Victoria.[5][6]

    Section 5: Job seekers in employment services →
Unemployment rate
3.9%
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.3 points on September 2025[3]
Employed people
186,752
ABS, September 2026 · up 0.8% since September 2025[3]
Online job ads a month
1,690
JSA, September 2026 · up 6.4% since September 2025[1]
People in Workforce Australia employment services
8,575
DEWR, June 2026 · up 6.4% 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.

Geelong
+6.4%
1,690 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, GeelongThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1k1.5k2k2.5k3kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026GeelongGeelong, Sep 2026: 1,6901,690

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Geelong
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20232,507
November 20232,407
December 20232,149
January 20242,065
February 20241,989
March 20242,153
April 20242,105
May 20242,081
June 20241,965
July 20241,828
August 20241,755
September 20241,723
October 20241,760
November 20241,679
December 20241,486
January 20251,439
February 20251,442
March 20251,604
April 20251,525
May 20251,529
June 20251,480
July 20251,534
August 20251,516
September 20251,589
October 20251,623
November 20251,595
December 20251,402
January 20261,402
February 20261,424
March 20261,615
April 20261,490
May 20261,486
June 20261,468
July 20261,576
August 20261,625
September 20261,690

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, GeelongThe 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.
Cleaners and laundry workers: +39.4%Cleaners and laundry workers+39.4%Health and welfare support workers: +34.3%Health and welfare support workers+34.3%Sales assistants and salespersons: +16.3%Sales assistants and salespersons+16.3%Drivers and storepersons: +16.2%Drivers and storepersons+16.2%Medical practitioners and nurses: +14.2%Medical practitioners and nurses+14.2%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +4.8%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+4.8%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +4.6%Hospitality, retail and service managers+4.6%Food trades: +3.8%Food trades+3.8%Carers and aides: +2.3%Carers and aides+2.3%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +1.4%Legal, social and welfare professionals+1.4%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −5.6%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−5.6%Automotive and engineering trades: −6.5%Automotive and engineering trades−6.5%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Geelong
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Carers and aides135132+2.3%
Medical practitioners and nurses121106+14.2%
Sales assistants and salespersons121104+16.3%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists119126−5.6%
Legal, social and welfare professionals7372+1.4%
Hospitality, retail and service managers6865+4.6%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals6562+4.8%
Automotive and engineering trades5862−6.5%
Food trades5553+3.8%
Health and welfare support workers4735+34.3%
Cleaners and laundry workers4633+39.4%
Drivers and storepersons4337+16.2%
Other labourers4340+7.5%
Corporate managers4240+5.0%
Business, finance and human resource professionals4147−12.8%
Hospitality workers3829+31.0%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians3635+2.9%
Numerical clerks3422+54.5%
Construction, production and distribution managers3331+6.5%
Other clerical and administrative workers3334−2.9%
Construction trades30300.0%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades3016+87.5%
Sales representatives and agents2834−17.6%
ICT professionals2526−3.8%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries2531−19.4%
Sports, travel and personal service workers2321+9.5%
Education professionals2235−37.1%
Engineers2217+29.4%
Health, education, ICT and other managers2015+33.3%
Machine and stationary plant operators1917+11.8%
Mobile plant operators1917+11.8%
Food preparation assistants1611+45.5%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals1516−6.3%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1413+7.7%
Information professionals1319−31.6%
Transport and design professionals, and architects1311+18.2%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades129+33.3%
Factory process workers1214−14.3%
Science professionals and veterinarians117+57.1%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers1110+10.0%
Sales support workers1114−21.4%
Construction and mining labourers1112−8.3%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators98+12.5%
Arts and media professionals95+80.0%
Farm, forestry and garden workers96+50.0%
Protective service workers57−28.6%
Clerical and office support workers, couriersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation, monthly

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

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Geelong, from January 2019Share of the labour force unemployed each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Victoria and Australia.
  • Geelong
  • Victoria
  • Australia
2%4%6%8%May 2020Dec 2021Jul 2023Feb 2025Sep 2026GeelongGeelong, Sep 2026: 3.9%3.9%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, Geelong, from January 2019Share of people aged 15 and over in the labour force each month, January 2019 to September 2026, against Victoria and Australia.
  • Geelong
  • Victoria
  • Australia
60%62%64%66%68%70%Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026GeelongGeelong, Sep 2026: 65.0%65.0%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, Geelong, 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.
  • Geelong
  • Victoria
  • Australia

Index (Jan 2019 = 100)

90100110120130Jan 2020Sep 2021May 2023Jan 2025Sep 2026GeelongGeelong, Sep 2026: 124.3124.3VictoriaVictoria, 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, GeelongThe 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: 10.6%10.6%All agesAll ages, Sep 2026: 3.9%3.9%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers below
Numbers for Figures 3.1 to 3.4: Labour force each month, Geelong, 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, GeelongUnemployment rate, VictoriaUnemployment rate, AustraliaParticipation rate, GeelongParticipation rate, VictoriaParticipation rate, Australia
January 20194.5%5.0%5.4%62.6%65.5%65.1%
February 20194.6%5.1%5.4%63.6%66.8%66.1%
March 20194.2%4.9%5.4%62.9%66.2%65.8%
April 20194.1%5.0%5.3%62.8%66.0%65.9%
May 20193.8%4.5%5.1%63.0%66.2%66.1%
June 20193.7%4.6%5.1%62.7%66.0%65.9%
July 20193.9%4.8%5.2%63.4%65.9%65.8%
August 20193.6%4.9%5.3%63.1%66.0%65.7%
September 20193.6%4.6%5.1%63.3%66.0%65.8%
October 20193.7%4.5%5.1%63.4%65.9%65.5%
November 20193.7%4.3%4.8%63.8%66.2%65.7%
December 20193.4%4.8%4.8%64.3%67.2%66.2%
January 20204.4%5.8%5.7%64.2%66.4%65.2%
February 20204.0%5.7%5.5%64.5%67.0%66.2%
March 20204.1%5.4%5.5%64.1%66.5%65.8%
April 20204.4%6.1%6.4%61.9%64.3%63.4%
May 20205.7%6.6%6.9%61.8%63.6%62.5%
June 20205.7%7.1%7.2%62.4%64.3%63.8%
July 20205.4%6.7%7.3%62.1%64.1%64.3%
August 20205.8%7.1%6.8%61.5%63.2%64.4%
September 20205.6%6.5%6.7%60.7%62.2%64.4%
October 20205.5%6.8%6.7%62.2%64.0%65.1%
November 20205.2%6.7%6.3%63.2%65.6%65.6%
December 20205.0%6.3%6.2%63.7%66.2%66.1%
January 20215.4%6.9%6.8%63.5%65.9%65.1%
February 20215.0%6.1%6.3%64.4%66.9%66.3%
March 20214.9%6.4%6.0%64.1%66.9%66.2%
April 20214.3%5.6%5.6%63.6%66.1%65.7%
May 20213.9%4.7%5.0%64.1%66.4%66.2%
June 20213.6%4.3%4.9%63.5%65.8%66.0%
July 20213.5%4.4%4.7%64.1%66.1%65.7%
August 20213.2%4.0%4.6%64.3%66.1%64.7%
September 20213.6%4.6%4.6%63.1%64.2%64.2%
October 20213.8%5.3%5.0%62.5%63.9%64.3%
November 20213.1%4.4%4.3%64.6%66.5%65.9%
December 20213.2%4.2%4.0%65.3%67.3%66.4%
January 20223.3%4.5%4.5%64.1%66.0%65.2%
February 20223.4%4.5%4.4%65.3%67.6%66.8%
March 20223.4%4.3%4.2%65.0%67.0%66.4%
April 20223.3%4.4%3.9%64.8%67.1%66.2%
May 20222.9%3.7%3.9%64.6%66.9%66.7%
June 20222.6%3.1%3.5%64.7%66.9%66.6%
July 20222.6%3.1%3.4%63.8%66.3%66.2%
August 20222.8%3.8%3.5%63.9%66.5%66.2%
September 20222.7%3.4%3.5%63.5%66.2%66.2%
October 20222.9%3.5%3.3%63.8%66.3%66.2%
November 20222.6%3.4%3.3%64.7%67.1%66.8%
December 20222.5%3.5%3.3%64.3%67.0%67.0%
January 20233.6%4.5%4.0%63.2%65.8%65.6%
February 20233.1%4.1%3.9%65.0%67.8%67.0%
March 20233.0%3.9%3.8%65.1%67.9%66.9%
April 20233.4%4.0%3.8%64.4%67.2%66.6%
May 20232.8%3.7%3.5%64.9%67.8%67.1%
June 20232.7%3.5%3.4%64.9%67.5%66.8%
July 20232.7%3.5%3.6%64.8%67.4%66.5%
August 20232.9%3.5%3.7%64.5%66.8%66.4%
September 20232.8%3.4%3.5%64.3%66.7%66.2%
October 20232.7%3.6%3.6%64.7%67.2%66.6%
November 20232.9%3.8%3.6%64.9%67.4%67.1%
December 20233.0%4.0%3.8%65.0%67.5%67.1%
January 20243.4%4.4%4.5%63.8%66.2%65.7%
February 20243.4%4.2%4.0%65.6%68.1%67.3%
March 20243.4%4.3%4.1%65.0%67.6%66.9%
April 20243.5%4.5%4.2%64.8%67.5%66.8%
May 20243.5%4.3%3.9%65.4%68.0%67.1%
June 20243.3%4.3%3.9%65.1%67.8%66.9%
July 20243.4%4.3%4.1%65.5%68.0%67.0%
August 20243.4%4.4%4.1%65.4%67.7%66.7%
September 20243.4%4.3%3.9%65.6%68.0%66.8%
October 20243.4%4.3%3.9%65.4%67.9%66.9%
November 20243.2%3.9%3.6%65.5%67.9%67.0%
December 20243.4%4.4%3.8%65.8%68.3%67.5%
January 20253.9%5.2%4.5%64.8%67.3%66.6%
February 20253.9%5.0%4.4%65.5%68.2%67.2%
March 20253.7%4.6%4.3%65.4%67.8%67.0%
April 20253.5%4.4%4.1%65.3%67.9%67.1%
May 20253.6%4.3%4.0%65.4%67.9%67.4%
June 20253.0%4.3%4.2%65.1%67.9%67.1%
July 20253.5%4.4%4.2%65.4%67.6%66.9%
August 20253.3%4.2%4.3%65.3%67.6%66.4%
September 20253.6%4.7%4.3%65.5%67.8%66.7%
October 20253.6%4.4%4.2%65.2%67.4%66.7%
November 20253.6%4.5%4.0%65.8%68.0%66.8%
December 20253.4%4.5%3.9%65.6%68.0%67.1%
January 20263.6%4.7%4.5%64.6%66.7%66.1%
February 20264.0%5.0%4.6%65.9%68.3%67.4%
March 20263.8%5.0%4.5%64.9%67.2%67.1%
April 20263.9%5.0%4.6%64.7%66.9%66.7%
May 20263.7%4.8%4.3%65.1%67.5%67.0%
June 20263.8%4.9%4.3%65.3%67.7%67.1%
July 20263.8%4.9%4.4%65.2%67.5%66.7%
August 20263.7%4.9%4.6%65.1%67.4%66.6%
September 20263.9%5.0%4.6%65.0%67.3%66.5%
Employed people as an index, January 2019 = 100, and youth unemployment
MonthEmployed people, index, GeelongEmployed people, index, VictoriaEmployed people, index, AustraliaYouth unemployment rate (15–24), Geelong
January 2019100.0100.0100.011.7%
February 2019102.0102.0101.711.5%
March 2019101.6101.6101.510.5%
April 2019101.6101.3101.910.1%
May 2019102.5102.2102.59.1%
June 2019102.3101.9102.38.4%
July 2019103.5101.8102.28.8%
August 2019103.7102.0102.18.3%
September 2019104.2102.4102.68.3%
October 2019104.6102.6102.38.5%
November 2019105.5103.4103.08.6%
December 2019106.9104.6103.88.3%
January 2020105.9102.3101.611.0%
February 2020107.2103.4103.410.2%
March 2020106.8103.2103.010.4%
April 2020102.899.098.310.9%
May 2020101.597.496.613.8%
June 2020102.498.098.113.8%
July 2020102.497.998.813.2%
August 2020101.396.199.513.8%
September 2020100.394.999.513.5%
October 2020103.097.4100.713.9%
November 2020105.199.7101.913.3%
December 2020106.5101.0102.812.7%
January 2021105.999.9100.713.7%
February 2021108.1102.1103.112.4%
March 2021107.9101.7103.311.8%
April 2021108.0101.4103.19.7%
May 2021109.6102.7104.58.6%
June 2021109.1102.1104.38.1%
July 2021110.2102.5104.18.2%
August 2021111.0102.8102.77.8%
September 2021108.499.3101.99.1%
October 2021107.498.2101.79.7%
November 2021112.0103.2105.17.7%
December 2021113.3104.8106.37.5%
January 2022111.2102.7104.27.8%
February 2022113.6105.4107.07.9%
March 2022113.3104.9106.87.5%
April 2022113.3105.1107.07.2%
May 2022113.8105.6108.16.0%
June 2022114.4106.4108.55.4%
July 2022113.0105.7108.25.3%
August 2022113.2105.5108.35.9%
September 2022112.8105.7108.65.5%
October 2022113.4106.1109.15.7%
November 2022115.3107.7110.25.2%
December 2022115.1107.9110.75.1%
January 2023112.2105.1108.17.5%
February 2023116.2109.1110.86.4%
March 2023116.7109.9111.26.2%
April 2023115.3108.8110.87.1%
May 2023117.1110.3112.35.7%
June 2023117.3110.4112.05.8%
July 2023117.5110.5111.76.2%
August 2023116.9109.7111.76.9%
September 2023117.1110.0112.06.8%
October 2023118.0110.9112.66.8%
November 2023118.3111.1113.67.4%
December 2023118.7111.4113.77.8%
January 2024116.4109.1110.78.7%
February 2024119.8112.7114.18.8%
March 2024119.1112.0113.68.8%
April 2024118.6111.8113.58.8%
May 2024119.8112.9114.58.7%
June 2024119.7112.8114.47.9%
July 2024120.7113.3114.48.2%
August 2024120.7113.0114.18.1%
September 2024121.2113.7114.88.1%
October 2024121.0113.6114.97.7%
November 2024121.7114.3115.77.2%
December 2024122.1114.5116.67.6%
January 2025120.0112.2114.38.6%
February 2025121.6114.1115.88.7%
March 2025121.9114.1115.88.2%
April 2025122.0114.6116.27.6%
May 2025122.4114.8116.97.8%
June 2025122.6115.0116.46.7%
July 2025122.8114.6116.37.5%
August 2025123.2115.0115.67.0%
September 2025123.3115.0116.18.0%
October 2025122.9114.8116.58.0%
November 2025124.1115.9116.98.0%
December 2025124.2116.0117.87.6%
January 2026122.3113.8115.48.5%
February 2026124.6116.4117.89.9%
March 2026123.2114.7117.79.9%
April 2026122.7114.3117.010.5%
May 2026123.9115.7118.09.6%
June 2026124.4116.1118.49.8%
July 2026124.4115.9117.710.0%
August 2026124.5115.9117.59.8%
September 2026124.3115.7117.410.6%

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

Figure 4.1: Largest occupations by estimated employment, Geelong, September 2026The 10 occupations with the most people employed in September 2026, of an estimated 186,226 people employed in Geelong across all occupations. The table adds September 2025 and the change. 4 of Geelong's 10 largest occupations are in national shortage.
Sales Assistants (General): 7,730Sales Assistants (General)7,730Aged and Disabled Carers: 7,105Aged and Disabled Carers7,105Registered Nurses: 6,693Registered Nurses6,693General Clerks: 3,820General Clerks3,820Carpenters and Joiners: 3,042Carpenters and Joiners3,042Receptionists: 2,908Receptionists2,908Truck Drivers: 2,405Truck Drivers2,405Primary School Teachers: 2,310Primary School Teachers2,310Software and Applications Programmers: 2,294Software and Applications Programmers2,294Retail Managers: 2,264Retail Managers2,264

Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia[7]; Jobs and Skills Australia[8].

Show the numbers
Largest occupations by estimated employment, Geelong, September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025ChangeNational shortage, 2026
Sales Assistants (General)7,7307,903−2.2%
Aged and Disabled Carers7,1056,703+6.0%Shortage
Registered Nurses6,6936,578+1.7%Shortage
General Clerks3,8203,541+7.9%
Carpenters and Joiners3,0423,168−4.0%Shortage
Receptionists2,9082,683+8.4%
Truck Drivers2,4052,340+2.8%Shortage
Primary School Teachers2,3102,279+1.4%
Software and Applications Programmers2,2941,982+15.7%
Retail Managers2,2642,758−17.9%
Figure 4.2: Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Geelong, 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.
Painting Trades Workers: +29.7%Painting Trades Workers+29.7%Greenkeepers: +27.7%Greenkeepers+27.7%Management and Organisation Analysts: +27.6%Management and Organisation Analysts+27.6%Counsellors: +25.1%Counsellors+25.1%ICT Managers: +23.7%ICT Managers+23.7%Plasterers: −18.9%Plasterers−18.9%Product Assemblers: −19.5%Product Assemblers−19.5%School Principals: −20.2%School Principals−20.2%Bus and Coach Drivers: −22.5%Bus and Coach Drivers−22.5%Wall and Floor Tilers: −26.4%Wall and Floor Tilers−26.4%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[7].

Show the numbers
Fastest growing and shrinking occupations by estimated employment, Geelong, September 2025 to September 2026
OccupationPeople employed, September 2026September 2025Change
Painting Trades Workers878677+29.7%
Greenkeepers461361+27.7%
Management and Organisation Analysts1,4661,149+27.6%
Counsellors1,173938+25.1%
ICT Managers1,3611,100+23.7%
Plasterers473583−18.9%
Product Assemblers466579−19.5%
School Principals360451−20.2%
Bus and Coach Drivers457590−22.5%
Wall and Floor Tilers223303−26.4%
Figure 4.3: People employed in the largest occupations, Geelong, 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)
  • Aged and Disabled Carers
  • Registered Nurses
  • General Clerks
  • Carpenters and Joiners
2k4k6k8kSep 2022Sep 2024Sep 2026Sales Assistants (General)Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2021: 7,008Sales Assistants (General), Sep 2026: 7,7307,730Aged and Disabled CarersAged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2021: 3,895Aged and Disabled Carers, Sep 2026: 7,1057,105Registered NursesRegistered Nurses, Sep 2021: 4,956Registered Nurses, Sep 2026: 6,6936,693General ClerksGeneral Clerks, Sep 2021: 3,363General Clerks, Sep 2026: 3,8203,820Carpenters and JoinersCarpenters and Joiners, Sep 2021: 2,789Carpenters and Joiners, Sep 2026: 3,0423,042

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[7].

Show the numbers
People employed in the largest occupations, Geelong, September 2021 to September 2026
MonthSales Assistants (General)Aged and Disabled CarersRegistered NursesGeneral ClerksCarpenters and Joiners
September 20217,0083,8954,9563,3632,789
September 20227,4304,5824,6343,3973,086
September 20237,8684,7895,0983,1982,975
September 20247,9815,6525,7963,2943,053
September 20257,9036,7036,5783,5413,168
September 20267,7307,1056,6933,8203,042

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 Geelong, 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, GeelongPeople in employment services at each snapshot, November 2024 to June 2026.
7k7.5k8k8.5k9kMar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026GeelongGeelong, Jun 2026: 8,5758,575

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, Geelong, against Victoria and AustraliaShare of people in employment services who had been in services for 12 months or more, and in Geelong for 24 months or more, November 2024 to June 2026.
  • Geelong, 12 months or more
  • Geelong, 24 months or more
  • Victoria, 12 months or more
  • Australia, 12 months or more
30%40%50%60%70%Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026Geelong, 12 months or moreGeelong, 12 months or more, Jun 2026: 63.2%63.2%Geelong, 24 months or moreGeelong, 24 months or more, Jun 2026: 41.2%41.2%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[6].

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

Sources: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5]; ViewJobs[6].

Show the numbers
People in employment services and the shares in services for 12 and 24 months or more
SnapshotPeople in employment services, GeelongIn services 12 months or more, GeelongIn services 24 months or more, GeelongIn services 12 months or more, VictoriaIn services 12 months or more, Australia
November 20247,22557.8%38.8%56.5%60.8%
December 20247,32558.0%38.4%56.5%60.7%
January 20257,54557.9%38.2%56.3%60.5%
February 20257,77557.1%37.4%56.1%60.3%
March 20257,86057.1%37.3%56.2%60.3%
April 20257,92057.4%37.4%56.6%60.5%
May 20258,04057.9%37.4%56.8%60.7%
June 20258,06058.8%37.5%57.6%61.3%
July 20258,06059.5%37.6%58.0%61.7%
August 20258,04060.3%38.1%58.7%62.2%
September 20258,08060.7%38.5%58.9%62.4%
October 20258,16561.7%38.9%59.2%62.7%
November 20258,12561.5%38.8%59.0%62.5%
December 20258,16061.1%38.7%59.2%62.6%
January 20268,32061.4%38.9%59.4%62.7%
February 20268,46561.4%39.1%59.8%63.1%
March 20268,52561.8%39.5%60.3%63.4%
April 20268,52062.4%40.2%60.7%63.8%
May 20268,58563.1%40.5%61.3%64.2%
June 20268,57563.2%41.2%61.6%64.4%
Figure 5.3: People in employment services by age group, Geelong, June 2026The 5 age groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
Under 25: 2,035Under 252,03525–34: 2,20525–342,20535–44: 1,60035–441,60045–54: 1,44545–541,44555 and over: 1,28055 and over1,280

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by age group, Geelong, June 2026
Age groupPeopleShare
Under 252,03524%
25–342,20526%
35–441,60019%
45–541,44517%
55 and over1,28015%
Figure 5.4: People in employment services by allowance group, Geelong, June 2026The 3 allowance groups at the latest snapshot; the table adds each group's share of all people in employment services.
JobSeeker Payment: 6,630JobSeeker Payment6,630Youth Allowance (other): 980Youth Allowance (other)980Other: 965Other965

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

Show the numbers
People in employment services by allowance group, Geelong, June 2026
Allowance groupPeopleShare
JobSeeker Payment6,63077%
Youth Allowance (other)98011%
Other96511%

6 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in Geelong and the Bellarine, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in this ABS area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in Geelong and the Bellarine
552
ViewJobs, 29 Oct 2026[9]
Figure 6.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Geelong and the BellarineThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 29 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 97Healthcare & Medical97Retail & Consumer Products: 91Retail & Consumer Products91Hospitality & Tourism: 55Hospitality & Tourism55Community Services & Development: 52Community Services & Development52Education & Training: 43Education & Training43Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 32Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics32Trades & Services: 25Trades & Services25Information & Communication Technology: 16Information & Communication Technology16

Source: ViewJobs live ads[9].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Geelong and the Bellarine
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical97
Retail & Consumer Products91
Hospitality & Tourism55
Community Services & Development52
Education & Training43
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics32
Trades & Services25
Information & Communication Technology16

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, Geelong, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)Average salary and wages per earner, 2021–22 to 2023–24 income years (ATO), against Victoria and Australia.
  • Geelong
  • Victoria
  • Australia
$65k$70k$75k$80k2021–222022–232023–24GeelongGeelong, 2021–22: $66,083Geelong, 2022–23: $69,465Geelong, 2023–24: $72,181$72,181VictoriaVictoria, 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, Geelong, 2021–22 to 2023–24 (ATO)
Income yearGeelongVictoriaAustralia
2021–22$66,083$68,898$69,980
2022–23$69,465$72,396$73,647
2023–24$72,181$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 Geelong's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in Geelong?

1,690 online job ads a month were placed in Geelong, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is Geelong's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in Geelong were up 6.4% on a year earlier, from 1,589 to 1,690 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 Geelong?

Carers and aides had the most online ads, 135 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (121) and sales assistants and salespersons (121). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades rose fastest, up 87.5%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in Geelong?

The unemployment rate in Geelong was 3.9% in September 2026, against 5.0% across Victoria. A year earlier it was 3.6%. 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 Geelong?

Yes. Unemployment in Geelong was up 0.3 points on a year earlier in September 2026, at 3.9% against 3.6% (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 Geelong?

An estimated 7,730 of the 186,226 people employed in Geelong in September 2026 worked as Sales Assistants (General), the largest occupation there. Next were Aged and Disabled Carers (7,105 people) and Registered Nurses (6,693 people). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[7].

Which occupations are growing fastest in Geelong?

Among occupations with at least 200 people employed in both September 2025 and September 2026, Painting Trades Workers grew fastest in Geelong, up 29.7% to an estimated 878 people employed, followed by Greenkeepers (up 27.7%) and Management and Organisation Analysts (up 27.6%). These are Jobs and Skills Australia's experimental nowcast estimates.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[7].

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

8,575 people in Geelong were in Workforce Australia employment services at 30 June 2026, up 6.4% on a year earlier. 63.2% 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 Geelong been in Workforce Australia employment services?

At 30 June 2026, 63.2% had been in employment services for 12 months or more, and 41.2% for two years or more, against 61.6% and 38.8% across Victoria.

Sources: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations[5]; ViewJobs[6].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in Geelong?

At least 552 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Geelong, as of 29 Oct 2026. They are the ads in Geelong and the Bellarine, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in the area. The most advertised are Healthcare & Medical (97), Retail & Consumer Products (91) and Hospitality & Tourism (55).

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
Geelong here is ABS SA4 203 Geelong. 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.[7]
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. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  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). Geelong job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/vic/geelong

Licence

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

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