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Job market report

Murray job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in the Murray, 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 109 Murray
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in the Murray were up 7.1% on a year earlier, from 961 to 1,029 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, 128 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by carers and aides (75) and sales assistants and salespersons (65).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 114.3%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, agriculture, forestry and fishing grew fastest, with 43% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019.

    Rental, hiring and real estate services had 1% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 4.0% of the labour force in the Murray was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales.

    It was 5.7% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 57.2%, 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.

Murray
+7.1%
1,029 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, MurrayThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
8001k1.2k1.4kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026MurrayMurray, Sep 2026: 1,0291,029

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Murray
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,326
November 20231,264
December 20231,154
January 20241,137
February 20241,103
March 20241,160
April 20241,147
May 20241,134
June 20241,071
July 20241,006
August 2024993
September 20241,013
October 20241,054
November 20241,001
December 2024917
January 2025891
February 2025886
March 2025945
April 2025872
May 2025889
June 2025881
July 2025946
August 2025937
September 2025961
October 2025961
November 2025933
December 2025851
January 2026863
February 2026898
March 2026969
April 2026911
May 2026923
June 2026925
July 2026985
August 2026992
September 20261,029

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, MurrayThe 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: +36.4%Food trades+36.4%Other labourers: +25.0%Other labourers+25.0%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +23.3%Hospitality, retail and service managers+23.3%Sales assistants and salespersons: +22.6%Sales assistants and salespersons+22.6%Business, finance and human resource professionals: +17.4%Business, finance and human resource professionals+17.4%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +12.2%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+12.2%Medical practitioners and nurses: +10.3%Medical practitioners and nurses+10.3%Automotive and engineering trades: +8.9%Automotive and engineering trades+8.9%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: +5.5%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists+5.5%Drivers and storepersons: −2.9%Drivers and storepersons−2.9%Carers and aides: −7.4%Carers and aides−7.4%Legal, social and welfare professionals: −13.6%Legal, social and welfare professionals−13.6%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Murray
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Medical practitioners and nurses128116+10.3%
Carers and aides7581−7.4%
Sales assistants and salespersons6553+22.6%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists5855+5.5%
Legal, social and welfare professionals5766−13.6%
Automotive and engineering trades4945+8.9%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals4641+12.2%
Hospitality, retail and service managers3730+23.3%
Drivers and storepersons3334−2.9%
Food trades3022+36.4%
Other labourers3024+25.0%
Business, finance and human resource professionals2723+17.4%
Construction, production and distribution managers2413+84.6%
Corporate managers2227−18.5%
Mobile plant operators2112+75.0%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians2018+11.1%
Other clerical and administrative workers2016+25.0%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades1914+35.7%
Hospitality workers1915+26.7%
Health and welfare support workers1727−37.0%
Numerical clerks1714+21.4%
Education professionals1617−5.9%
Cleaners and laundry workers1619−15.8%
Engineers157+114.3%
Machine and stationary plant operators1514+7.1%
Construction trades1312+8.3%
Sales representatives and agents1314−7.1%
Farm, forestry and garden workers1314−7.1%
Health, education, ICT and other managers118+37.5%
Sports, travel and personal service workers1011−9.1%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries1012−16.7%
Food preparation assistants98+12.5%
Factory process workers87+14.3%
Arts and media professionals65+20.0%
Science professionals and veterinarians660.0%
Farmers and farm managers550.0%
Information professionals57−28.6%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers57−28.6%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers550.0%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers5fewer than 5n/a
Sales support workers550.0%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood tradesfewer than 55n/a
Construction and mining labourersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Chief executives, managing directors & legislatorsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
ICT professionalsfewer than 57n/a
Sales, marketing & public relations professionalsfewer than 55n/a
Transport and design professionals, and architectsfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Protective service workersfewer 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, MurrayShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • Murray
  • New South Wales
4%5%6%7%201120162021MurrayMurray, 2011: 5.0%Murray, 2016: 5.7%Murray, 2021: 4.0%4.0%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, Murray
CensusMurrayNew South Wales
2011 Census5.0%5.9%
2016 Census5.7%6.3%
2021 Census4.0%4.9%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, MurrayShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • Murray
  • New South Wales
56%57%58%59%60%201120162021MurrayMurray, 2011: 59.0%Murray, 2016: 56.3%Murray, 2021: 57.2%57.2%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, Murray
CensusMurrayNew South Wales
2011 Census59.0%59.7%
2016 Census56.3%59.2%
2021 Census57.2%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, Murray, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing: +42.6%Agriculture, forestry and fishing+42.6%Health care and social assistance: +40.2%Health care and social assistance+40.2%Accommodation and food services: +40.0%Accommodation and food services+40.0%Retail trade: +30.0%Retail trade+30.0%Education and training: +25.4%Education and training+25.4%Financial and insurance services: +23.1%Financial and insurance services+23.1%Construction: +22.4%Construction+22.4%Professional, scientific and technical services: +20.6%Professional, scientific and technical services+20.6%Administrative and support services: +20.2%Administrative and support services+20.2%Arts and recreation services: +19.2%Arts and recreation services+19.2%Transport, postal and warehousing: +19.0%Transport, postal and warehousing+19.0%Other services: +15.7%Other services+15.7%Manufacturing: +15.3%Manufacturing+15.3%Wholesale trade: +13.0%Wholesale trade+13.0%Public administration and safety: +5.7%Public administration and safety+5.7%Rental, hiring and real estate services: −1.0%Rental, hiring and real estate services−1.0%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Murray, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance10,27814,414+40.2%
Accommodation and food services7,56810,592+40.0%
Retail trade7,93710,318+30.0%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing6,7939,687+42.6%
Education and training6,2897,886+25.4%
Manufacturing5,9326,842+15.3%
Public administration and safety6,1846,535+5.7%
Construction5,0896,228+22.4%
Administrative and support services4,8385,815+20.2%
Professional, scientific and technical services3,3544,044+20.6%
Transport, postal and warehousing3,3804,023+19.0%
Wholesale trade2,8643,236+13.0%
Financial and insurance services2,5523,141+23.1%
Other services2,2292,578+15.7%
Rental, hiring and real estate services1,2461,234−1.0%
Arts and recreation services9671,153+19.2%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services875934n/a
Information media and telecommunications462542n/a
Mining272312n/a
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Murray, 2023100,318 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 14,414Health care and social assistance14,414Accommodation and food services: 10,592Accommodation and food services10,592Retail trade: 10,318Retail trade10,318Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 9,687Agriculture, forestry and fishing9,687Education and training: 7,886Education and training7,886Manufacturing: 6,842Manufacturing6,842Public administration and safety: 6,535Public administration and safety6,535Construction: 6,228Construction6,228

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Murray, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance14,41414%
Accommodation and food services10,59211%
Retail trade10,31810%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing9,68710%
Education and training7,8868%
Manufacturing6,8427%
Public administration and safety6,5357%
Construction6,2286%
Administrative and support services5,8156%
Professional, scientific and technical services4,0444%
Transport, postal and warehousing4,0234%
Wholesale trade3,2363%
Financial and insurance services3,1413%
Other services2,5783%
Rental, hiring and real estate services1,2341%
Arts and recreation services1,1531%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services9341%
Information media and telecommunications5421%
Mining3120%
All industries100,318100%

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, MurrayIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Murray
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$45k$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023MurrayMurray, 2019: $46,333Murray, 2020: $47,177Murray, 2021: $49,835Murray, 2022: $51,142Murray, 2023: $53,320$53,320New 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, Murray
YearMurrayNew South WalesAustralia
2019$46,333$53,104$52,256
2020$47,177$54,989$53,878
2021$49,835$57,891$56,485
2022$51,142$58,972$58,260
2023$53,320$63,301$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, MurrayIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • Murray
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$50k$60k$70k$80k20192020202120222023MurrayMurray, 2019: $51,460Murray, 2020: $52,743Murray, 2021: $55,139Murray, 2022: $56,751Murray, 2023: $59,448$59,448New 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, Murray
YearMurrayNew South WalesAustralia
2019$51,460$66,377$63,517
2020$52,743$68,690$65,591
2021$55,139$71,848$68,452
2022$56,751$74,232$70,950
2023$59,448$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
130,078
ABS, 2025 · up 6.2% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
73,462
ABS, 2024 · up 0.9% since 2020[3]

New South Wales' population was up 5.9% from 2020 to 2025, and the Murray's up 6.2%.[3]

7 Businesses

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

Businesses in the area
13,756
ABS, 2025 · up 11.3% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Murray, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 8,526No employees8,5261–4 employees: 3,4941–4 employees3,4945–19 employees: 1,3925–19 employees1,39220 or more employees: 34420 or more employees344

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Murray, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees7,1988,526+18.4%
1–4 employees3,5103,494−0.5%
5–19 employees1,3501,392+3.1%
20 or more employees299344+15.1%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

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

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the Murray
176
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, The MurrayThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Hospitality & Tourism: 33Hospitality & Tourism33Retail & Consumer Products: 28Retail & Consumer Products28Community Services & Development: 23Community Services & Development23Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 19Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics19Healthcare & Medical: 15Healthcare & Medical15Trades & Services: 12Trades & Services12Accounting: 7Accounting7Advertising, Arts & Media: 6Advertising, Arts & Media6

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, The Murray
ClassificationLive jobs
Hospitality & Tourism33
Retail & Consumer Products28
Community Services & Development23
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics19
Healthcare & Medical15
Trades & Services12
Accounting7
Advertising, Arts & Media6

Browse jobs by region

9 Quick answers

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

How many jobs are advertised in the Murray?

1,029 online job ads a month were placed in the Murray, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Murray's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in the Murray were up 7.1% on a year earlier, from 961 to 1,029 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 Murray?

Medical practitioners and nurses had the most online ads, 128 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by carers and aides (75) and sales assistants and salespersons (65). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 114.3%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Murray?

4.0% of the labour force in the Murray was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales. It was 5.7% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 57.2%, 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 Murray?

Average (mean) employee income in the Murray was $59,448 in 2023; the median was $53,320, 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 Murray?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in the Murray: 14,414 in 2023, 14% of the 100,318 employee jobs. Next were accommodation and food services (10,592) and retail trade (10,318).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in the Murray?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, agriculture, forestry and fishing grew fastest, with 43% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019. Rental, hiring and real estate services had 1% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is the Murray's population growing?

130,078 people lived in the Murray in 2025, up 6.2% since 2020. New South Wales' population was up 5.9% over the same years. The working-age population was 73,462 in 2024, up 0.9% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the Murray?

At least 176 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the Murray, as of 25 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 Hospitality & Tourism (33), Retail & Consumer Products (28) and Community Services & Development (23).

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 Murray here is ABS SA4 109 Murray. 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). Murray job market report, data to September 2026. https://preview.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/nsw/murray

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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