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Job market report

Hunter Valley job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, from Jobs and Skills Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Every figure is numbered and sourced.

Latest data
JSA September 2026; ABS 2023 to 2025 and the 2021 Census
Updated
24 October 2026
Area
ABS SA4 106 Hunter Valley exc Newcastle
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Shrinking: online job ads in the Hunter Valley were down 3.3% on a year earlier, from 2,121 to 2,051 a month in the three months to September 2026.

    Over the same year, ads were down 0.8% across New South Wales and up 0.6% across Australia.[1][2]

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. Medical practitioners and nurses had the most online ads, 236 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by carers and aides (138) and general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (126).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for protective service workers rose fastest, up 66.7%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, information media and telecommunications grew fastest, with 52% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by financial and insurance services (51% more).

    Electricity, gas, water and waste services had 2% fewer employee jobs than in 2019, and rental, hiring and real estate services 1% fewer.[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 4.7% of the labour force in the Hunter Valley was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales.

    It was 7.2% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 58.4%, against 58.7% across New South Wales. The Census runs every five years, so these are not current rates.[3]

    Section 3: Unemployment and participation →

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.

Hunter Valley
−3.3%
2,051 ads a month[1]
New South Wales
−0.8%
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, Hunter ValleyThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1.5k1.75k2k2.25k2.5k2.75kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026Hunter ValleyHunter Valley, Sep 2026: 2,0512,051

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Hunter Valley
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20232,699
November 20232,545
December 20232,201
January 20242,145
February 20242,099
March 20242,318
April 20242,255
May 20242,280
June 20242,180
July 20242,136
August 20242,133
September 20242,216
October 20242,267
November 20242,165
December 20241,861
January 20251,792
February 20251,733
March 20251,946
April 20251,835
May 20251,897
June 20251,858
July 20252,027
August 20252,015
September 20252,121
October 20252,083
November 20252,054
December 20251,769
January 20261,789
February 20261,825
March 20262,103
April 20261,999
May 20261,943
June 20261,847
July 20261,900
August 20261,964
September 20262,051

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, Hunter ValleyThe 12 occupation groups with the most ads, fastest-rising first. Groups with fewer than 5 ads a month now or a year earlier are left out; the table lists all 48.
Medical practitioners and nurses: +18.6%Medical practitioners and nurses+18.6%Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades: +13.3%Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades+13.3%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +9.1%Hospitality, retail and service managers+9.1%Sales assistants and salespersons: +1.8%Sales assistants and salespersons+1.8%Drivers and storepersons: +1.4%Drivers and storepersons+1.4%Business, finance and human resource professionals: −1.9%Business, finance and human resource professionals−1.9%Automotive and engineering trades: −2.4%Automotive and engineering trades−2.4%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −5.3%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−5.3%Carers and aides: −10.4%Carers and aides−10.4%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: −11.6%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals−11.6%Other labourers: −14.1%Other labourers−14.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals: −17.0%Legal, social and welfare professionals−17.0%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Hunter Valley
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Medical practitioners and nurses236199+18.6%
Carers and aides138154−10.4%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists126133−5.3%
Automotive and engineering trades124127−2.4%
Sales assistants and salespersons113111+1.8%
Legal, social and welfare professionals7388−17.0%
Drivers and storepersons7372+1.4%
Hospitality, retail and service managers7266+9.1%
Other labourers6778−14.1%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals6169−11.6%
Business, finance and human resource professionals5354−1.9%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades5145+13.3%
Corporate managers4946+6.5%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians4948+2.1%
Hospitality workers48480.0%
Cleaners and laundry workers4745+4.4%
Food trades4555−18.2%
Education professionals4460−26.7%
Engineers4351−15.7%
Construction, production and distribution managers3941−4.9%
Construction trades3642−14.3%
Other clerical and administrative workers3635+2.9%
Sales representatives and agents3644−18.2%
Numerical clerks3430+13.3%
Construction and mining labourers3127+14.8%
Health and welfare support workers2926+11.5%
Mobile plant operators2739−30.8%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries2629−10.3%
Sports, travel and personal service workers2526−3.8%
Machine and stationary plant operators2531−19.4%
Health, education, ICT and other managers19190.0%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1822−18.2%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers1610+60.0%
ICT professionals1518−16.7%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals12120.0%
Factory process workers1213−7.7%
Transport and design professionals, and architects1113−15.4%
Science professionals and veterinarians1113−15.4%
Farm, forestry and garden workers1110+10.0%
Information professionals1011−9.1%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades1012−16.7%
Protective service workers106+66.7%
Sales support workers1016−37.5%
Food preparation assistants10100.0%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers79−22.2%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators65+20.0%
Arts and media professionals660.0%
Farmers and farm managersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a

3 Unemployment and participation

Unemployment and labour force participation at each Census, from the ABS. These are the rates at the Census named, not current rates.

Figure 3.1: Unemployment rate, Hunter ValleyShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • Hunter Valley
  • New South Wales
4%5%6%7%8%201120162021Hunter ValleyHunter Valley, 2011: 5.3%Hunter Valley, 2016: 7.2%Hunter Valley, 2021: 4.7%4.7%New South WalesNew South Wales, 2011: 5.9%New South Wales, 2016: 6.3%New South Wales, 2021: 4.9%4.9%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Unemployment rate, Hunter Valley
CensusHunter ValleyNew South Wales
2011 Census5.3%5.9%
2016 Census7.2%6.3%
2021 Census4.7%4.9%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, Hunter ValleyShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • Hunter Valley
  • New South Wales
56%57%58%59%60%201120162021Hunter ValleyHunter Valley, 2011: 58.9%Hunter Valley, 2016: 56.9%Hunter Valley, 2021: 58.4%58.4%New South WalesNew South Wales, 2011: 59.7%New South Wales, 2016: 59.2%New South Wales, 2021: 58.7%58.7%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Labour force participation, Hunter Valley
CensusHunter ValleyNew South Wales
2011 Census58.9%59.7%
2016 Census56.9%59.2%
2021 Census58.4%58.7%

Note: This report takes unemployment from the Census. The ABS's monthly Labour Force estimates by region are not included yet.

4 Industries growing and shrinking

Employee jobs by industry (ANZSIC division) in the year to 30 June, from the ABS. Change is measured from 2019: the ABS figures for 2018 and 2019 differ sharply for some industries in some areas. Shrinking means fewer employee jobs in the ABS count.

Figure 4.1: Change in employee jobs by industry, Hunter Valley, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Information media and telecommunications: +52.3%Information media and telecommunications+52.3%Financial and insurance services: +51.4%Financial and insurance services+51.4%Health care and social assistance: +39.7%Health care and social assistance+39.7%Accommodation and food services: +34.7%Accommodation and food services+34.7%Arts and recreation services: +33.3%Arts and recreation services+33.3%Education and training: +28.2%Education and training+28.2%Construction: +26.6%Construction+26.6%Other services: +25.3%Other services+25.3%Retail trade: +24.1%Retail trade+24.1%Manufacturing: +22.1%Manufacturing+22.1%Mining: +21.3%Mining+21.3%Professional, scientific and technical services: +19.1%Professional, scientific and technical services+19.1%Transport, postal and warehousing: +18.3%Transport, postal and warehousing+18.3%Wholesale trade: +17.2%Wholesale trade+17.2%Public administration and safety: +12.0%Public administration and safety+12.0%Administrative and support services: +9.4%Administrative and support services+9.4%Agriculture, forestry and fishing: +6.4%Agriculture, forestry and fishing+6.4%Rental, hiring and real estate services: −1.3%Rental, hiring and real estate services−1.3%Electricity, gas, water and waste services: −2.0%Electricity, gas, water and waste services−2.0%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Hunter Valley, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance21,20629,629+39.7%
Accommodation and food services17,93024,147+34.7%
Retail trade17,89922,218+24.1%
Administrative and support services19,47221,293+9.4%
Construction14,24818,033+26.6%
Manufacturing11,82814,440+22.1%
Education and training11,18314,333+28.2%
Public administration and safety12,49713,999+12.0%
Professional, scientific and technical services9,55311,382+19.1%
Mining9,09511,036+21.3%
Financial and insurance services5,7598,719+51.4%
Other services6,8988,642+25.3%
Transport, postal and warehousing7,2638,592+18.3%
Wholesale trade5,9056,919+17.2%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing4,1014,364+6.4%
Rental, hiring and real estate services4,0714,018−1.3%
Arts and recreation services2,3193,091+33.3%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,9381,899−2.0%
Information media and telecommunications8871,351+52.3%
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Hunter Valley, 2023230,327 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 29,629Health care and social assistance29,629Accommodation and food services: 24,147Accommodation and food services24,147Retail trade: 22,218Retail trade22,218Administrative and support services: 21,293Administrative and support services21,293Construction: 18,033Construction18,033Manufacturing: 14,440Manufacturing14,440Education and training: 14,333Education and training14,333Public administration and safety: 13,999Public administration and safety13,999

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Hunter Valley, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance29,62913%
Accommodation and food services24,14710%
Retail trade22,21810%
Administrative and support services21,2939%
Construction18,0338%
Manufacturing14,4406%
Education and training14,3336%
Public administration and safety13,9996%
Professional, scientific and technical services11,3825%
Mining11,0365%
Financial and insurance services8,7194%
Other services8,6424%
Transport, postal and warehousing8,5924%
Wholesale trade6,9193%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing4,3642%
Rental, hiring and real estate services4,0182%
Arts and recreation services3,0911%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,8991%
Information media and telecommunications1,3511%
All industries230,327100%

5 Pay

Employee income per person with wage or salary income, before tax, including part-time and part-year workers, from the ABS. The median is the middle earner; the mean (average) is pulled up by high earners.

Figure 5.1: Median employee income, Hunter ValleyIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Hunter Valley
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023Hunter ValleyHunter Valley, 2019: $52,187Hunter Valley, 2020: $53,923Hunter Valley, 2021: $55,558Hunter Valley, 2022: $56,405Hunter Valley, 2023: $61,247$61,247New South WalesNew South Wales, 2019: $53,104New South Wales, 2020: $54,989New South Wales, 2021: $57,891New South Wales, 2022: $58,972New South Wales, 2023: $63,301$63,301AustraliaAustralia, 2019: $52,256Australia, 2020: $53,878Australia, 2021: $56,485Australia, 2022: $58,260Australia, 2023: $61,966$61,966

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Median employee income, Hunter Valley
YearHunter ValleyNew South WalesAustralia
2019$52,187$53,104$52,256
2020$53,923$54,989$53,878
2021$55,558$57,891$56,485
2022$56,405$58,972$58,260
2023$61,247$63,301$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, Hunter ValleyIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Hunter Valley
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$60k$65k$70k$75k$80k20192020202120222023Hunter ValleyHunter Valley, 2019: $62,220Hunter Valley, 2020: $64,251Hunter Valley, 2021: $65,195Hunter Valley, 2022: $66,518Hunter Valley, 2023: $71,289$71,289New South WalesNew South Wales, 2019: $66,377New South Wales, 2020: $68,690New South Wales, 2021: $71,848New South Wales, 2022: $74,232New South Wales, 2023: $78,078$78,078AustraliaAustralia, 2019: $63,517Australia, 2020: $65,591Australia, 2021: $68,452Australia, 2022: $70,950Australia, 2023: $74,579$74,579

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Mean employee income, Hunter Valley
YearHunter ValleyNew South WalesAustralia
2019$62,220$66,377$63,517
2020$64,251$68,690$65,591
2021$65,195$71,848$68,452
2022$66,518$74,232$70,950
2023$71,289$78,078$74,579

6 People

Estimated resident population and the working-age population (15 to 64), from the ABS.

People living in the area
316,250
ABS, 2025 · up 9.9% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
189,709
ABS, 2024 · up 6.6% since 2020[3]

New South Wales' population was up 5.9% from 2020 to 2025, and the Hunter Valley's up 9.9%.[3]

7 Businesses

Counts of businesses by how many people they employ, from the ABS.

Businesses in the area
21,847
ABS, 2025 · up 13.6% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Hunter Valley, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 12,415No employees12,4151–4 employees: 6,4701–4 employees6,4705–19 employees: 2,3215–19 employees2,32120 or more employees: 64120 or more employees641

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Hunter Valley, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees10,36312,415+19.8%
1–4 employees6,1806,470+4.7%
5–19 employees2,1662,321+7.2%
20 or more employees527641+21.6%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in the Hunter, a ViewJobs region that reaches beyond this ABS area: 66% of its towns are in the area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the Hunter
1,403
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, HunterThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Hospitality & Tourism: 216Hospitality & Tourism216Healthcare & Medical: 185Healthcare & Medical185Retail & Consumer Products: 154Retail & Consumer Products154Community Services & Development: 143Community Services & Development143Trades & Services: 116Trades & Services116Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 97Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics97Education & Training: 75Education & Training75Engineering: 58Engineering58

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Hunter
ClassificationLive jobs
Hospitality & Tourism216
Healthcare & Medical185
Retail & Consumer Products154
Community Services & Development143
Trades & Services116
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics97
Education & Training75
Engineering58

Browse jobs by region

9 Quick answers

Short answers to the questions people ask about the Hunter Valley's job market, each with its period and source.

How many jobs are advertised in the Hunter Valley?

2,051 online job ads a month were placed in the Hunter Valley, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Hunter Valley's job market growing or shrinking?

Shrinking: online job ads in the Hunter Valley were down 3.3% on a year earlier, from 2,121 to 2,051 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were down 0.8% across New South Wales and up 0.6% across Australia.

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

Which jobs are most in demand in the Hunter Valley?

Medical practitioners and nurses had the most online ads, 236 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by carers and aides (138) and general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (126). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for protective service workers rose fastest, up 66.7%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Hunter Valley?

4.7% of the labour force in the Hunter Valley was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales. It was 7.2% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 58.4%, against 58.7% across New South Wales. The Census runs every five years, so these are not current rates.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

What is the average wage in the Hunter Valley?

Average (mean) employee income in the Hunter Valley was $71,289 in 2023; the median was $61,247, against $63,301 across New South Wales and $61,966 across Australia.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries employ the most people in the Hunter Valley?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in the Hunter Valley: 29,629 in 2023, 13% of the 230,327 employee jobs. Next were accommodation and food services (24,147) and retail trade (22,218).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in the Hunter Valley?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, information media and telecommunications grew fastest, with 52% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by financial and insurance services (51% more). Electricity, gas, water and waste services had 2% fewer employee jobs than in 2019, and rental, hiring and real estate services 1% fewer.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is the Hunter Valley's population growing?

316,250 people lived in the Hunter Valley in 2025, up 9.9% since 2020. New South Wales' population was up 5.9% over the same years. The working-age population was 189,709 in 2024, up 6.6% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the Hunter Valley?

1,403 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the Hunter, a ViewJobs region that reaches beyond the Hunter Valley, as of 25 Oct 2026. 66% of its towns are in the area. The most advertised are Hospitality & Tourism (216), Healthcare & Medical (185) and Retail & Consumer Products (154).

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

10 Notes and method

What the figures count, where they come from, and the rules this report applies to them.

The area
The Hunter Valley here is ABS SA4 106 Hunter Valley exc Newcastle. 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.
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.
Unemployment
This report takes unemployment from the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses: each figure is the rate at the Census named, not a current rate. The ABS's monthly Labour Force estimates by region are not included yet.
Jobs on ViewJobs
ViewJobs regions do not follow ABS boundaries. Section 8 counts the ads open on ViewJobs on 25 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 24 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, Data by Region, v1.6.0. dbr.abs.gov.au. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 24 October 2026.
  4. ViewJobs, Live job ads on ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026. preview.viewjobs.com.au.

Cite this report

ViewJobs (2026). Hunter Valley job market report, data to September 2026. https://preview.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/nsw/hunter-valley

Licence

Contains data from Jobs and Skills Australia, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, used under CC BY 4.0. ViewJobs has charted the data and, where marked as ViewJobs analysis, added areas together.

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