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Job market report

Wide Bay job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in the Wide Bay, 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 319 Wide Bay
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in the Wide Bay were up 2.6% on a year earlier, from 1,759 to 1,804 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. Carers and aides had the most online ads, 179 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (164) and sales assistants and salespersons (121).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for corporate managers rose fastest, up 47.8%.[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 80% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by arts and recreation services (57% more).

    Agriculture, forestry and fishing had 14% fewer employee jobs than in 2019, and public administration and safety 3% fewer.[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 7.0% of the labour force in the Wide Bay was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.4% across Queensland.

    It was 10.4% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 47.2%, 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.

Wide Bay
+2.6%
1,804 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, Wide BayThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1.5k1.6k1.7k1.8k1.9kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026Wide BayWide Bay, Sep 2026: 1,8041,804

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Wide Bay
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,867
November 20231,771
December 20231,584
January 20241,578
February 20241,595
March 20241,699
April 20241,636
May 20241,620
June 20241,573
July 20241,575
August 20241,621
September 20241,678
October 20241,728
November 20241,687
December 20241,560
January 20251,570
February 20251,553
March 20251,663
April 20251,528
May 20251,526
June 20251,537
July 20251,650
August 20251,679
September 20251,759
October 20251,793
November 20251,759
December 20251,620
January 20261,651
February 20261,722
March 20261,856
April 20261,747
May 20261,676
June 20261,653
July 20261,719
August 20261,781
September 20261,804

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, Wide BayThe 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.
Mobile plant operators: +41.4%Mobile plant operators+41.4%Other labourers: +37.5%Other labourers+37.5%Sales assistants and salespersons: +18.6%Sales assistants and salespersons+18.6%Drivers and storepersons: +15.4%Drivers and storepersons+15.4%Medical practitioners and nurses: +3.1%Medical practitioners and nurses+3.1%Carers and aides: +1.1%Carers and aides+1.1%Legal, social and welfare professionals: −1.0%Legal, social and welfare professionals−1.0%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: −2.5%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals−2.5%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −4.2%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−4.2%Hospitality, retail and service managers: −4.8%Hospitality, retail and service managers−4.8%Health and welfare support workers: −9.3%Health and welfare support workers−9.3%Automotive and engineering trades: −14.3%Automotive and engineering trades−14.3%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Wide Bay
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Carers and aides179177+1.1%
Medical practitioners and nurses164159+3.1%
Sales assistants and salespersons121102+18.6%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists113118−4.2%
Legal, social and welfare professionals100101−1.0%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals7880−2.5%
Drivers and storepersons7565+15.4%
Automotive and engineering trades6677−14.3%
Other labourers6648+37.5%
Hospitality, retail and service managers5962−4.8%
Health and welfare support workers4954−9.3%
Mobile plant operators4129+41.4%
Construction trades4037+8.1%
Food trades4045−11.1%
Business, finance and human resource professionals3744−15.9%
Corporate managers3423+47.8%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians34340.0%
Construction, production and distribution managers3335−5.7%
Cleaners and laundry workers3327+22.2%
Education professionals3231+3.2%
Other clerical and administrative workers3123+34.8%
Sales representatives and agents3027+11.1%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades2729−6.9%
Farm, forestry and garden workers2325−8.0%
Hospitality workers2119+10.5%
Sports, travel and personal service workers2126−19.2%
Numerical clerks2033−39.4%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries20200.0%
Engineers1921−9.5%
Machine and stationary plant operators1922−13.6%
Construction and mining labourers1913+46.2%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers1715+13.3%
Food preparation assistants1713+30.8%
Factory process workers1614+14.3%
Health, education, ICT and other managers1413+7.7%
Science professionals and veterinarians1413+7.7%
Sales support workers1110+10.0%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers97+28.6%
Transport and design professionals, and architects86+33.3%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades89−11.1%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers880.0%
Information professionals78−12.5%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals770.0%
Farmers and farm managers6fewer than 5n/a
ICT professionals58−37.5%
Protective service workers5fewer than 5n/a
Chief executives, managing directors & legislatorsfewer than 55n/a
Arts and media professionalsfewer than 59n/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, Wide BayShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against Queensland.
  • Wide Bay
  • Queensland
4%6%8%10%12%201120162021Wide BayWide Bay, 2011: 8.8%Wide Bay, 2016: 10.4%Wide Bay, 2021: 7.0%7.0%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, Wide Bay
CensusWide BayQueensland
2011 Census8.8%6.1%
2016 Census10.4%7.6%
2021 Census7.0%5.4%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, Wide BayShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against Queensland.
  • Wide Bay
  • Queensland
45%50%55%60%65%201120162021Wide BayWide Bay, 2011: 50.1%Wide Bay, 2016: 47.0%Wide Bay, 2021: 47.2%47.2%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, Wide Bay
CensusWide BayQueensland
2011 Census50.1%62.8%
2016 Census47.0%61.0%
2021 Census47.2%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, Wide Bay, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Information media and telecommunications: +80.2%Information media and telecommunications+80.2%Arts and recreation services: +56.7%Arts and recreation services+56.7%Health care and social assistance: +36.2%Health care and social assistance+36.2%Professional, scientific and technical services: +34.7%Professional, scientific and technical services+34.7%Other services: +34.0%Other services+34.0%Retail trade: +32.1%Retail trade+32.1%Mining: +31.4%Mining+31.4%Construction: +28.6%Construction+28.6%Rental, hiring and real estate services: +28.0%Rental, hiring and real estate services+28.0%Transport, postal and warehousing: +25.9%Transport, postal and warehousing+25.9%Accommodation and food services: +25.4%Accommodation and food services+25.4%Administrative and support services: +20.6%Administrative and support services+20.6%Financial and insurance services: +17.7%Financial and insurance services+17.7%Electricity, gas, water and waste services: +14.9%Electricity, gas, water and waste services+14.9%Education and training: +11.2%Education and training+11.2%Manufacturing: +10.5%Manufacturing+10.5%Wholesale trade: +6.4%Wholesale trade+6.4%Public administration and safety: −3.4%Public administration and safety−3.4%Agriculture, forestry and fishing: −13.7%Agriculture, forestry and fishing−13.7%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Wide Bay, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance24,95333,986+36.2%
Retail trade17,11722,609+32.1%
Accommodation and food services14,50718,193+25.4%
Administrative and support services13,19315,908+20.6%
Construction11,65814,996+28.6%
Education and training13,37414,873+11.2%
Manufacturing12,18113,454+10.5%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing15,08813,017−13.7%
Public administration and safety10,1179,776−3.4%
Professional, scientific and technical services6,2838,462+34.7%
Other services5,6027,504+34.0%
Transport, postal and warehousing5,6517,117+25.9%
Financial and insurance services5,5356,514+17.7%
Wholesale trade5,0145,333+6.4%
Rental, hiring and real estate services3,4444,408+28.0%
Mining3,2564,279+31.4%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,6531,899+14.9%
Arts and recreation services1,0881,705+56.7%
Information media and telecommunications7611,371+80.2%
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Wide Bay, 2023207,631 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 33,986Health care and social assistance33,986Retail trade: 22,609Retail trade22,609Accommodation and food services: 18,193Accommodation and food services18,193Administrative and support services: 15,908Administrative and support services15,908Construction: 14,996Construction14,996Education and training: 14,873Education and training14,873Manufacturing: 13,454Manufacturing13,454Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 13,017Agriculture, forestry and fishing13,017

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Wide Bay, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance33,98616%
Retail trade22,60911%
Accommodation and food services18,1939%
Administrative and support services15,9088%
Construction14,9967%
Education and training14,8737%
Manufacturing13,4546%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing13,0176%
Public administration and safety9,7765%
Professional, scientific and technical services8,4624%
Other services7,5044%
Transport, postal and warehousing7,1173%
Financial and insurance services6,5143%
Wholesale trade5,3333%
Rental, hiring and real estate services4,4082%
Mining4,2792%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services1,8991%
Arts and recreation services1,7051%
Information media and telecommunications1,3711%
All industries207,631100%

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, Wide BayIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Wide Bay
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$40k$45k$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023Wide BayWide Bay, 2019: $42,437Wide Bay, 2020: $44,318Wide Bay, 2021: $46,428Wide Bay, 2022: $47,701Wide Bay, 2023: $50,175$50,175QueenslandQueensland, 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, Wide Bay
YearWide BayQueenslandAustralia
2019$42,437$50,776$52,256
2020$44,318$52,137$53,878
2021$46,428$54,414$56,485
2022$47,701$56,569$58,260
2023$50,175$59,751$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, Wide BayIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against Queensland and Australia.
  • Wide Bay
  • Queensland
  • Australia
$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k20192020202120222023Wide BayWide Bay, 2019: $49,231Wide Bay, 2020: $51,225Wide Bay, 2021: $53,388Wide Bay, 2022: $54,833Wide Bay, 2023: $57,838$57,838QueenslandQueensland, 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, Wide Bay
YearWide BayQueenslandAustralia
2019$49,231$60,307$63,517
2020$51,225$62,160$65,591
2021$53,388$64,570$68,452
2022$54,833$67,160$70,950
2023$57,838$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
335,670
ABS, 2025 · up 9.6% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
186,321
ABS, 2024 · up 6.2% since 2020[3]

Queensland's population was up 9.8% from 2020 to 2025, and the Wide Bay's up 9.6%.[3]

7 Businesses

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

Businesses in the area
25,111
ABS, 2025 · up 13.7% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Wide Bay, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 15,749No employees15,7491–4 employees: 6,1841–4 employees6,1845–19 employees: 2,5465–19 employees2,54620 or more employees: 63220 or more employees632

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Wide Bay, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees13,30215,749+18.4%
1–4 employees5,9576,184+3.8%
5–19 employees2,3172,546+9.9%
20 or more employees507632+24.7%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in Bundaberg, the Fraser Coast and the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast reaches beyond this ABS area: 44% of its towns are in the area. Bundaberg and the Fraser Coast have all their towns in it.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in these regions
1,425
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast and Sunshine CoastThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Hospitality & Tourism: 265Hospitality & Tourism265Healthcare & Medical: 255Healthcare & Medical255Community Services & Development: 167Community Services & Development167Retail & Consumer Products: 165Retail & Consumer Products165Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 100Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics100Education & Training: 81Education & Training81Trades & Services: 61Trades & Services61Call Centre & Customer Service: 32Call Centre & Customer Service32

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast
ClassificationLive jobs
Hospitality & Tourism265
Healthcare & Medical255
Community Services & Development167
Retail & Consumer Products165
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics100
Education & Training81
Trades & Services61
Call Centre & Customer Service32

9 Quick answers

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

How many jobs are advertised in the Wide Bay?

1,804 online job ads a month were placed in the Wide Bay, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the Wide Bay's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in the Wide Bay were up 2.6% on a year earlier, from 1,759 to 1,804 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 Wide Bay?

Carers and aides had the most online ads, 179 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (164) and sales assistants and salespersons (121). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for corporate managers rose fastest, up 47.8%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the Wide Bay?

7.0% of the labour force in the Wide Bay was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.4% across Queensland. It was 10.4% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 47.2%, 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 Wide Bay?

Average (mean) employee income in the Wide Bay was $57,838 in 2023; the median was $50,175, against $59,751 across Queensland and $61,966 across Australia.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries employ the most people in the Wide Bay?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in the Wide Bay: 33,986 in 2023, 16% of the 207,631 employee jobs. Next were retail trade (22,609) and accommodation and food services (18,193).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in the Wide Bay?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, information media and telecommunications grew fastest, with 80% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by arts and recreation services (57% more). Agriculture, forestry and fishing had 14% fewer employee jobs than in 2019, and public administration and safety 3% fewer.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is the Wide Bay's population growing?

335,670 people lived in the Wide Bay in 2025, up 9.6% since 2020. Queensland's population was up 9.8% over the same years. The working-age population was 186,321 in 2024, up 6.2% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the Wide Bay?

1,425 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Bundaberg, the Fraser Coast and the Sunshine Coast, as of 25 Oct 2026. The Sunshine Coast reaches beyond the Wide Bay: 44% of its towns are in the area. The most advertised are Hospitality & Tourism (265), Healthcare & Medical (255) and Community Services & Development (167).

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 Wide Bay here is ABS SA4 319 Wide Bay. 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). Wide Bay job market report, data to September 2026. https://preview.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/qld/wide-bay

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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