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Job market report

Gold Coast job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in the Gold Coast, Queensland, 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 309 Gold Coast
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Shrinking: online job ads in the Gold Coast were down 8.4% on a year earlier, from 5,977 to 5,473 a month in the three months to September 2026.

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

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. Sales assistants and salespersons had the most online ads, 417 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (380) and carers and aides (262).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 24.7%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, accommodation and food services grew fastest, with 51% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by health care and social assistance (40% more).

    Agriculture, forestry and fishing had 5% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 5.3% of the labour force in the Gold Coast was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.4% across Queensland.

    It was 7.0% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 62.5%, against 61.6% across Queensland. 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.

Gold Coast
−8.4%
5,473 ads a month[1]
Queensland
+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, Gold CoastThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
4.5k5k5.5k6k6.5k7kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026Gold CoastGold Coast, Sep 2026: 5,4735,473

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Gold Coast
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20236,550
November 20236,133
December 20235,298
January 20245,350
February 20245,374
March 20246,049
April 20245,736
May 20245,772
June 20245,630
July 20245,757
August 20245,802
September 20246,074
October 20246,244
November 20246,087
December 20245,241
January 20255,195
February 20255,118
March 20255,599
April 20255,163
May 20255,282
June 20255,418
July 20255,753
August 20255,766
September 20255,977
October 20256,083
November 20255,920
December 20255,145
January 20265,091
February 20265,079
March 20265,640
April 20265,163
May 20265,065
June 20264,896
July 20265,125
August 20265,241
September 20265,473

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, Gold CoastThe 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: +13.0%Food trades+13.0%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +6.9%Hospitality, retail and service managers+6.9%Corporate managers: +2.8%Corporate managers+2.8%Other labourers: 0.0%Other labourers0.0%Hospitality workers: −0.5%Hospitality workers−0.5%Sales assistants and salespersons: −2.1%Sales assistants and salespersons−2.1%Automotive and engineering trades: −2.8%Automotive and engineering trades−2.8%Drivers and storepersons: −6.9%Drivers and storepersons−6.9%Business, finance and human resource professionals: −8.9%Business, finance and human resource professionals−8.9%Carers and aides: −20.6%Carers and aides−20.6%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −21.3%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−21.3%Medical practitioners and nurses: −29.7%Medical practitioners and nurses−29.7%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Gold Coast
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Sales assistants and salespersons417426−2.1%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists380483−21.3%
Carers and aides262330−20.6%
Hospitality, retail and service managers248232+6.9%
Other labourers2332330.0%
Food trades209185+13.0%
Automotive and engineering trades207213−2.8%
Medical practitioners and nurses204290−29.7%
Drivers and storepersons202217−6.9%
Hospitality workers195196−0.5%
Corporate managers185180+2.8%
Business, finance and human resource professionals163179−8.9%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals163169−3.6%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians149138+8.0%
Sales representatives and agents148182−18.7%
Other clerical and administrative workers147154−4.5%
Legal, social and welfare professionals144148−2.7%
Construction, production and distribution managers135125+8.0%
Numerical clerks131139−5.8%
Cleaners and laundry workers124148−16.2%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries113127−11.0%
Mobile plant operators106102+3.9%
Construction trades97117−17.1%
Engineers9677+24.7%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades87870.0%
Machine and stationary plant operators8183−2.4%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals7790−14.4%
Sports, travel and personal service workers7199−28.3%
Factory process workers6785−21.2%
Education professionals59590.0%
ICT professionals5860−3.3%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades5860−3.3%
Construction and mining labourers5154−5.6%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers4858−17.2%
Health and welfare support workers4882−41.5%
Food preparation assistants4253−20.8%
Transport and design professionals, and architects4152−21.2%
Health, education, ICT and other managers3542−16.7%
Sales support workers2937−21.6%
Arts and media professionals2625+4.0%
Science professionals and veterinarians2325−8.0%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers2331−25.8%
Protective service workers2221+4.8%
Farm, forestry and garden workers1924−20.8%
Information professionals1722−22.7%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers1715+13.3%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators1319−31.6%
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, Gold CoastShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against Queensland.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
5%6%7%8%201120162021Gold CoastGold Coast, 2011: 7.4%Gold Coast, 2016: 7.0%Gold Coast, 2021: 5.3%5.3%QueenslandQueensland, 2011: 6.1%Queensland, 2016: 7.6%Queensland, 2021: 5.4%5.4%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Unemployment rate, Gold Coast
CensusGold CoastQueensland
2011 Census7.4%6.1%
2016 Census7.0%7.6%
2021 Census5.3%5.4%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, Gold CoastShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against Queensland.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
61%61.5%62%62.5%63%201120162021Gold CoastGold Coast, 2011: 62.1%Gold Coast, 2016: 61.5%Gold Coast, 2021: 62.5%62.5%QueenslandQueensland, 2011: 62.8%Queensland, 2016: 61.0%Queensland, 2021: 61.6%61.6%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Labour force participation, Gold Coast
CensusGold CoastQueensland
2011 Census62.1%62.8%
2016 Census61.5%61.0%
2021 Census62.5%61.6%

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, Gold Coast, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Accommodation and food services: +51.3%Accommodation and food services+51.3%Health care and social assistance: +40.4%Health care and social assistance+40.4%Information media and telecommunications: +36.0%Information media and telecommunications+36.0%Professional, scientific and technical services: +35.7%Professional, scientific and technical services+35.7%Other services: +33.5%Other services+33.5%Retail trade: +26.9%Retail trade+26.9%Administrative and support services: +26.8%Administrative and support services+26.8%Financial and insurance services: +26.1%Financial and insurance services+26.1%Arts and recreation services: +25.6%Arts and recreation services+25.6%Manufacturing: +23.8%Manufacturing+23.8%Mining: +22.9%Mining+22.9%Electricity, gas, water and waste services: +22.2%Electricity, gas, water and waste services+22.2%Wholesale trade: +22.2%Wholesale trade+22.2%Construction: +21.5%Construction+21.5%Education and training: +20.4%Education and training+20.4%Rental, hiring and real estate services: +18.2%Rental, hiring and real estate services+18.2%Transport, postal and warehousing: +16.6%Transport, postal and warehousing+16.6%Public administration and safety: +1.1%Public administration and safety+1.1%Agriculture, forestry and fishing: −4.7%Agriculture, forestry and fishing−4.7%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Gold Coast, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance53,27674,806+40.4%
Accommodation and food services48,38373,219+51.3%
Retail trade48,88462,047+26.9%
Administrative and support services43,32054,927+26.8%
Construction38,40646,665+21.5%
Education and training32,90539,621+20.4%
Professional, scientific and technical services28,42638,573+35.7%
Manufacturing21,95727,190+23.8%
Financial and insurance services16,92421,337+26.1%
Public administration and safety20,06420,291+1.1%
Other services14,60619,506+33.5%
Wholesale trade15,62319,087+22.2%
Arts and recreation services14,79018,574+25.6%
Rental, hiring and real estate services13,25815,677+18.2%
Transport, postal and warehousing11,74613,691+16.6%
Information media and telecommunications9,89413,458+36.0%
Mining3,0073,697+22.9%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services2,7773,393+22.2%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing3,0922,946−4.7%
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Gold Coast, 2023577,495 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 74,806Health care and social assistance74,806Accommodation and food services: 73,219Accommodation and food services73,219Retail trade: 62,047Retail trade62,047Administrative and support services: 54,927Administrative and support services54,927Construction: 46,665Construction46,665Education and training: 39,621Education and training39,621Professional, scientific and technical services: 38,573Professional, scientific and technical services38,573Manufacturing: 27,190Manufacturing27,190

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Gold Coast, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance74,80613%
Accommodation and food services73,21913%
Retail trade62,04711%
Administrative and support services54,92710%
Construction46,6658%
Education and training39,6217%
Professional, scientific and technical services38,5737%
Manufacturing27,1905%
Financial and insurance services21,3374%
Public administration and safety20,2914%
Other services19,5063%
Wholesale trade19,0873%
Arts and recreation services18,5743%
Rental, hiring and real estate services15,6773%
Transport, postal and warehousing13,6912%
Information media and telecommunications13,4582%
Mining3,6971%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services3,3931%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing2,9461%
All industries577,495100%

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, Gold CoastIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$45k$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023Gold CoastGold Coast, 2019: $46,639Gold Coast, 2020: $47,511Gold Coast, 2021: $50,000Gold Coast, 2022: $52,565Gold Coast, 2023: $55,817$55,817QueenslandQueensland, 2019: $50,776Queensland, 2020: $52,137Queensland, 2021: $54,414Queensland, 2022: $56,569Queensland, 2023: $59,751$59,751AustraliaAustralia, 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, Gold Coast
YearGold CoastQueenslandAustralia
2019$46,639$50,776$52,256
2020$47,511$52,137$53,878
2021$50,000$54,414$56,485
2022$52,565$56,569$58,260
2023$55,817$59,751$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, Gold CoastIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Gold Coast
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$55k$60k$65k$70k$75k20192020202120222023Gold CoastGold Coast, 2019: $55,328Gold Coast, 2020: $56,733Gold Coast, 2021: $59,735Gold Coast, 2022: $62,693Gold Coast, 2023: $66,169$66,169QueenslandQueensland, 2019: $60,307Queensland, 2020: $62,160Queensland, 2021: $64,570Queensland, 2022: $67,160Queensland, 2023: $70,571$70,571AustraliaAustralia, 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, Gold Coast
YearGold CoastQueenslandAustralia
2019$55,328$60,307$63,517
2020$56,733$62,160$65,591
2021$59,735$64,570$68,452
2022$62,693$67,160$70,950
2023$66,169$70,571$74,579

6 People

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

People living in the area
708,085
ABS, 2025 · up 10.3% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
457,253
ABS, 2024 · up 9.7% since 2020[3]

Queensland's population was up 9.8% from 2020 to 2025, and the Gold Coast's up 10.3%.[3]

7 Businesses

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

Businesses in the area
85,155
ABS, 2025 · up 17.0% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Gold Coast, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 53,570No employees53,5701–4 employees: 22,1711–4 employees22,1715–19 employees: 7,2075–19 employees7,20720 or more employees: 2,20720 or more employees2,207

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Gold Coast, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees43,15953,570+24.1%
1–4 employees21,69122,171+2.2%
5–19 employees6,2937,207+14.5%
20 or more employees1,6642,207+32.6%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

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

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the Gold Coast
1,767
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Gold CoastThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Hospitality & Tourism: 428Hospitality & Tourism428Retail & Consumer Products: 237Retail & Consumer Products237Healthcare & Medical: 181Healthcare & Medical181Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 121Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics121Community Services & Development: 84Community Services & Development84Trades & Services: 78Trades & Services78Education & Training: 77Education & Training77Construction: 72Construction72

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Gold Coast
ClassificationLive jobs
Hospitality & Tourism428
Retail & Consumer Products237
Healthcare & Medical181
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics121
Community Services & Development84
Trades & Services78
Education & Training77
Construction72

Browse jobs by region

9 Quick answers

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

How many jobs are advertised in the Gold Coast?

5,473 online job ads a month were placed in the Gold Coast, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Gold Coast's job market growing or shrinking?

Shrinking: online job ads in the Gold Coast were down 8.4% on a year earlier, from 5,977 to 5,473 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were up 0.1% across Queensland and up 0.6% across Australia.

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

Which jobs are most in demand in the Gold Coast?

Sales assistants and salespersons had the most online ads, 417 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by general-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists (380) and carers and aides (262). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for engineers rose fastest, up 24.7%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Gold Coast?

5.3% of the labour force in the Gold Coast was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.4% across Queensland. It was 7.0% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 62.5%, against 61.6% across Queensland. 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 Gold Coast?

Average (mean) employee income in the Gold Coast was $66,169 in 2023; the median was $55,817, against $59,751 across Queensland and $61,966 across Australia.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries employ the most people in the Gold Coast?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in the Gold Coast: 74,806 in 2023, 13% of the 577,495 employee jobs. Next were accommodation and food services (73,219) and retail trade (62,047).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in the Gold Coast?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, accommodation and food services grew fastest, with 51% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by health care and social assistance (40% more). Agriculture, forestry and fishing had 5% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is the Gold Coast's population growing?

708,085 people lived in the Gold Coast in 2025, up 10.3% since 2020. Queensland's population was up 9.8% over the same years. The working-age population was 457,253 in 2024, up 9.7% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the Gold Coast?

At least 1,767 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the Gold Coast, 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 (428), Retail & Consumer Products (237) and Healthcare & Medical (181).

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 Gold Coast here is ABS SA4 309 Gold Coast. 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). Gold Coast job market report, data to September 2026. https://preview.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/qld/gold-coast

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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