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Job market report

Illawarra job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in the Illawarra, 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 107 Illawarra
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Steady: online job ads in the Illawarra were down 0.7% on a year earlier, from 1,437 to 1,427 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. Carers and aides had the most online ads, 119 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (117) and legal, social and welfare professionals (102).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for food trades rose fastest, up 37.5%.[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 51% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by electricity, gas, water and waste services (46% more).[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 4.6% of the labour force in the Illawarra was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales.

    It was 6.9% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 58.1%, 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.

Illawarra
−0.7%
1,427 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, IllawarraThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1.2k1.4k1.6k1.8k2kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026IllawarraIllawarra, Sep 2026: 1,4271,427

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Illawarra
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,987
November 20231,803
December 20231,528
January 20241,448
February 20241,464
March 20241,630
April 20241,596
May 20241,567
June 20241,485
July 20241,469
August 20241,501
September 20241,586
October 20241,628
November 20241,547
December 20241,337
January 20251,297
February 20251,255
March 20251,415
April 20251,330
May 20251,380
June 20251,319
July 20251,369
August 20251,355
September 20251,437
October 20251,463
November 20251,452
December 20251,301
January 20261,318
February 20261,323
March 20261,470
April 20261,374
May 20261,332
June 20261,282
July 20261,321
August 20261,362
September 20261,427

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, IllawarraThe 12 occupation groups with the most ads, fastest-rising first. Groups with fewer than 5 ads a month now or a year earlier are left out; the table lists all 48.
Food trades: +37.5%Food trades+37.5%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +23.0%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+23.0%Medical practitioners and nurses: +15.8%Medical practitioners and nurses+15.8%Sales assistants and salespersons: +15.1%Sales assistants and salespersons+15.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +8.5%Legal, social and welfare professionals+8.5%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +4.2%Hospitality, retail and service managers+4.2%Drivers and storepersons: +2.4%Drivers and storepersons+2.4%Automotive and engineering trades: +1.5%Automotive and engineering trades+1.5%Other labourers: 0.0%Other labourers0.0%Carers and aides: −11.2%Carers and aides−11.2%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −15.2%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−15.2%Education professionals: −21.2%Education professionals−21.2%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Illawarra
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Carers and aides119134−11.2%
Medical practitioners and nurses117101+15.8%
Legal, social and welfare professionals10294+8.5%
Sales assistants and salespersons9986+15.1%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists95112−15.2%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals7561+23.0%
Automotive and engineering trades6766+1.5%
Food trades5540+37.5%
Hospitality, retail and service managers5048+4.2%
Drivers and storepersons4241+2.4%
Education professionals4152−21.2%
Other labourers37370.0%
Hospitality workers3637−2.7%
Cleaners and laundry workers3029+3.4%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades2922+31.8%
Business, finance and human resource professionals2830−6.7%
Sales representatives and agents2625+4.0%
Numerical clerks2421+14.3%
Corporate managers2329−20.7%
Engineers2330−23.3%
Construction trades23230.0%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians2228−21.4%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries2225−12.0%
Health and welfare support workers2123−8.7%
Sports, travel and personal service workers2017+17.6%
Construction, production and distribution managers1922−13.6%
Other clerical and administrative workers1826−30.8%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1715+13.3%
Health, education, ICT and other managers1316−18.8%
Machine and stationary plant operators1312+8.3%
Mobile plant operators1312+8.3%
Construction and mining labourers1315−13.3%
ICT professionals1013−23.1%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals108+25.0%
Transport and design professionals, and architects97+28.6%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers98+12.5%
Science professionals and veterinarians715−53.3%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades76+16.7%
Sales support workers79−22.2%
Information professionals6fewer than 5n/a
Food preparation assistants67−14.3%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators56−16.7%
Protective service workers5fewer than 5n/a
Factory process workers58−37.5%
Arts and media professionalsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Clerical and office support workers, couriersfewer than 56n/a
Farm, forestry and garden workersfewer than 55n/a
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, IllawarraShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
4%5%6%7%201120162021IllawarraIllawarra, 2011: 6.7%Illawarra, 2016: 6.9%Illawarra, 2021: 4.6%4.6%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, Illawarra
CensusIllawarraNew South Wales
2011 Census6.7%5.9%
2016 Census6.9%6.3%
2021 Census4.6%4.9%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, IllawarraShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
57%58%59%60%201120162021IllawarraIllawarra, 2011: 57.3%Illawarra, 2016: 57.0%Illawarra, 2021: 58.1%58.1%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, Illawarra
CensusIllawarraNew South Wales
2011 Census57.3%59.7%
2016 Census57.0%59.2%
2021 Census58.1%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, Illawarra, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Information media and telecommunications: +50.8%Information media and telecommunications+50.8%Electricity, gas, water and waste services: +45.6%Electricity, gas, water and waste services+45.6%Accommodation and food services: +37.6%Accommodation and food services+37.6%Professional, scientific and technical services: +30.3%Professional, scientific and technical services+30.3%Health care and social assistance: +26.8%Health care and social assistance+26.8%Financial and insurance services: +26.7%Financial and insurance services+26.7%Arts and recreation services: +21.2%Arts and recreation services+21.2%Retail trade: +17.7%Retail trade+17.7%Administrative and support services: +17.2%Administrative and support services+17.2%Construction: +14.1%Construction+14.1%Public administration and safety: +14.0%Public administration and safety+14.0%Mining: +14.0%Mining+14.0%Other services: +14.0%Other services+14.0%Manufacturing: +13.6%Manufacturing+13.6%Education and training: +12.4%Education and training+12.4%Rental, hiring and real estate services: +9.5%Rental, hiring and real estate services+9.5%Wholesale trade: +8.1%Wholesale trade+8.1%Transport, postal and warehousing: +4.2%Transport, postal and warehousing+4.2%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Illawarra, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance28,75836,469+26.8%
Accommodation and food services17,30823,811+37.6%
Education and training21,09323,715+12.4%
Retail trade18,89622,232+17.7%
Public administration and safety15,92818,165+14.0%
Administrative and support services15,48518,148+17.2%
Construction15,68617,898+14.1%
Professional, scientific and technical services12,08815,756+30.3%
Manufacturing10,84612,321+13.6%
Financial and insurance services9,08511,507+26.7%
Transport, postal and warehousing7,7288,052+4.2%
Other services6,2867,165+14.0%
Wholesale trade5,9956,480+8.1%
Arts and recreation services3,7524,549+21.2%
Rental, hiring and real estate services3,1093,405+9.5%
Information media and telecommunications2,1873,297+50.8%
Mining2,3222,647+14.0%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,2621,838+45.6%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing781776n/a
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Illawarra, 2023240,710 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 36,469Health care and social assistance36,469Accommodation and food services: 23,811Accommodation and food services23,811Education and training: 23,715Education and training23,715Retail trade: 22,232Retail trade22,232Public administration and safety: 18,165Public administration and safety18,165Administrative and support services: 18,148Administrative and support services18,148Construction: 17,898Construction17,898Professional, scientific and technical services: 15,756Professional, scientific and technical services15,756

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Illawarra, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance36,46915%
Accommodation and food services23,81110%
Education and training23,71510%
Retail trade22,2329%
Public administration and safety18,1658%
Administrative and support services18,1488%
Construction17,8987%
Professional, scientific and technical services15,7567%
Manufacturing12,3215%
Financial and insurance services11,5075%
Transport, postal and warehousing8,0523%
Other services7,1653%
Wholesale trade6,4803%
Arts and recreation services4,5492%
Rental, hiring and real estate services3,4051%
Information media and telecommunications3,2971%
Mining2,6471%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,8381%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing7760%
All industries240,710100%

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, IllawarraIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023IllawarraIllawarra, 2019: $53,476Illawarra, 2020: $55,067Illawarra, 2021: $57,299Illawarra, 2022: $58,208Illawarra, 2023: $62,765$62,765New 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, Illawarra
YearIllawarraNew South WalesAustralia
2019$53,476$53,104$52,256
2020$55,067$54,989$53,878
2021$57,299$57,891$56,485
2022$58,208$58,972$58,260
2023$62,765$63,301$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, IllawarraIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Illawarra
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$60k$65k$70k$75k$80k20192020202120222023IllawarraIllawarra, 2019: $63,176Illawarra, 2020: $64,937Illawarra, 2021: $67,061Illawarra, 2022: $68,813Illawarra, 2023: $73,451$73,451New 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, Illawarra
YearIllawarraNew South WalesAustralia
2019$63,176$66,377$63,517
2020$64,937$68,690$65,591
2021$67,061$71,848$68,452
2022$68,813$74,232$70,950
2023$73,451$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
330,469
ABS, 2025 · up 5.6% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
206,617
ABS, 2024 · up 3.9% since 2020[3]

New South Wales' population was up 5.9% from 2020 to 2025, and the Illawarra's up 5.6%.[3]

7 Businesses

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

Businesses in the area
22,906
ABS, 2025 · up 15.8% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Illawarra, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 12,891No employees12,8911–4 employees: 7,1181–4 employees7,1185–19 employees: 2,3325–19 employees2,33220 or more employees: 56520 or more employees565

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Illawarra, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees10,13612,891+27.2%
1–4 employees7,0537,118+0.9%
5–19 employees2,1222,332+9.9%
20 or more employees462565+22.3%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in the South Coast, a ViewJobs region that reaches beyond this ABS area: 32% of its towns are in the area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the South Coast
751
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, South CoastThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 162Healthcare & Medical162Retail & Consumer Products: 102Retail & Consumer Products102Community Services & Development: 92Community Services & Development92Hospitality & Tourism: 81Hospitality & Tourism81Education & Training: 63Education & Training63Trades & Services: 51Trades & Services51Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 22Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics22Sport & Recreation: 22Sport & Recreation22

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, South Coast
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical162
Retail & Consumer Products102
Community Services & Development92
Hospitality & Tourism81
Education & Training63
Trades & Services51
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics22
Sport & Recreation22

Browse jobs by region

9 Quick answers

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

How many jobs are advertised in the Illawarra?

1,427 online job ads a month were placed in the Illawarra, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Illawarra's job market growing or shrinking?

Steady: online job ads in the Illawarra were down 0.7% on a year earlier, from 1,437 to 1,427 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 Illawarra?

Carers and aides had the most online ads, 119 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (117) and legal, social and welfare professionals (102). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for food trades rose fastest, up 37.5%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Illawarra?

4.6% of the labour force in the Illawarra was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales. It was 6.9% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 58.1%, 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 Illawarra?

Average (mean) employee income in the Illawarra was $73,451 in 2023; the median was $62,765, 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 Illawarra?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in the Illawarra: 36,469 in 2023, 15% of the 240,710 employee jobs. Next were accommodation and food services (23,811) and education and training (23,715).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in the Illawarra?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, information media and telecommunications grew fastest, with 51% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by electricity, gas, water and waste services (46% more).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is the Illawarra's population growing?

330,469 people lived in the Illawarra in 2025, up 5.6% since 2020. New South Wales' population was up 5.9% over the same years. The working-age population was 206,617 in 2024, up 3.9% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the Illawarra?

751 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the South Coast, a ViewJobs region that reaches beyond the Illawarra, as of 25 Oct 2026. 32% of its towns are in the area. The most advertised are Healthcare & Medical (162), Retail & Consumer Products (102) and Community Services & Development (92).

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 Illawarra here is ABS SA4 107 Illawarra. 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). Illawarra job market report, data to September 2026. https://preview.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/nsw/illawarra

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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