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Job market report

New England and North West job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in the New England and North West, 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
25 October 2026
Area
ABS SA4 110 New England and North West
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Growing: online job ads in the New England and North West were up 2.9% on a year earlier, from 1,366 to 1,405 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, 358 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by legal, social and welfare professionals (167) and carers and aides (73).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for farmers and farm managers rose fastest, up 80.0%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, financial and insurance services grew fastest, with 52% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by arts and recreation services (43% more).[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 4.8% of the labour force in the New England and North West was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales.

    It was 6.4% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 56.1%, 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.

New England and North West
+2.9%
1,405 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, New England and North WestThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
1k1.2k1.4k1.6k1.8kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026New England and North WestNew England and North West, Sep 2026: 1,4051,405

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, New England and North West
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 20231,522
November 20231,441
December 20231,327
January 20241,241
February 20241,206
March 20241,257
April 20241,252
May 20241,225
June 20241,173
July 20241,146
August 20241,122
September 20241,155
October 20241,159
November 20241,174
December 20241,048
January 20251,086
February 20251,060
March 20251,193
April 20251,115
May 20251,178
June 20251,253
July 20251,416
August 20251,400
September 20251,366
October 20251,324
November 20251,337
December 20251,242
January 20261,292
February 20261,283
March 20261,568
April 20261,542
May 20261,662
June 20261,596
July 20261,586
August 20261,471
September 20261,405

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, New England and North WestThe 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: +79.0%Medical practitioners and nurses+79.0%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +15.4%Hospitality, retail and service managers+15.4%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +9.2%Legal, social and welfare professionals+9.2%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +3.2%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+3.2%Drivers and storepersons: +2.2%Drivers and storepersons+2.2%Corporate managers: 0.0%Corporate managers0.0%Sales assistants and salespersons: −2.9%Sales assistants and salespersons−2.9%Business, finance and human resource professionals: −21.2%Business, finance and human resource professionals−21.2%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −22.7%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−22.7%Carers and aides: −26.3%Carers and aides−26.3%Automotive and engineering trades: −28.7%Automotive and engineering trades−28.7%Other labourers: −29.8%Other labourers−29.8%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, New England and North West
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
Medical practitioners and nurses358200+79.0%
Legal, social and welfare professionals167153+9.2%
Carers and aides7399−26.3%
Sales assistants and salespersons6668−2.9%
Automotive and engineering trades5780−28.7%
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists5166−22.7%
Drivers and storepersons4746+2.2%
Hospitality, retail and service managers4539+15.4%
Other labourers4057−29.8%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals3231+3.2%
Business, finance and human resource professionals2633−21.2%
Corporate managers25250.0%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades2324−4.2%
Food trades2229−24.1%
Education professionals2128−25.0%
Hospitality workers1915+26.7%
Numerical clerks1925−24.0%
Machine and stationary plant operators1923−17.4%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians1822−18.2%
Construction, production and distribution managers1719−10.5%
Sales support workers1711+54.5%
Health and welfare support workers1620−20.0%
Sales representatives and agents1620−20.0%
Cleaners and laundry workers1624−33.3%
Other clerical and administrative workers1514+7.1%
Engineers1311+18.2%
Farm, forestry and garden workers1317−23.5%
Health, education, ICT and other managers1211+9.1%
Construction trades1213−7.7%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries1213−7.7%
Factory process workers1210+20.0%
Mobile plant operators1126−57.7%
Farmers and farm managers95+80.0%
Science professionals and veterinarians96+50.0%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers98+12.5%
Construction and mining labourers810−20.0%
Food preparation assistants880.0%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators65+20.0%
ICT professionals660.0%
Transport and design professionals, and architects6fewer than 5n/a
Sports, travel and personal service workers613−53.8%
Arts and media professionals5fewer than 5n/a
Information professionals550.0%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers5fewer than 5n/a
Skilled animal and horticultural workersfewer than 5fewer than 5n/a
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood tradesfewer than 57n/a
Sales, marketing & public relations professionalsfewer 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, New England and North WestShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • New England and North West
  • New South Wales
4.5%5%5.5%6%6.5%201120162021New England and North WestNew England and North West, 2011: 6.2%New England and North West, 2016: 6.4%New England and North West, 2021: 4.8%4.8%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, New England and North West
CensusNew England and North WestNew South Wales
2011 Census6.2%5.9%
2016 Census6.4%6.3%
2021 Census4.8%4.9%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, New England and North WestShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against New South Wales.
  • New England and North West
  • New South Wales
55%56%57%58%59%60%201120162021New England and North WestNew England and North West, 2011: 57.6%New England and North West, 2016: 55.7%New England and North West, 2021: 56.1%56.1%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, New England and North West
CensusNew England and North WestNew South Wales
2011 Census57.6%59.7%
2016 Census55.7%59.2%
2021 Census56.1%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, New England and North West, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Financial and insurance services: +52.2%Financial and insurance services+52.2%Arts and recreation services: +43.2%Arts and recreation services+43.2%Administrative and support services: +31.2%Administrative and support services+31.2%Accommodation and food services: +24.8%Accommodation and food services+24.8%Construction: +21.7%Construction+21.7%Health care and social assistance: +19.2%Health care and social assistance+19.2%Professional, scientific and technical services: +18.6%Professional, scientific and technical services+18.6%Transport, postal and warehousing: +17.7%Transport, postal and warehousing+17.7%Retail trade: +17.5%Retail trade+17.5%Other services: +14.8%Other services+14.8%Wholesale trade: +14.5%Wholesale trade+14.5%Mining: +13.9%Mining+13.9%Rental, hiring and real estate services: +13.5%Rental, hiring and real estate services+13.5%Public administration and safety: +11.6%Public administration and safety+11.6%Agriculture, forestry and fishing: +9.1%Agriculture, forestry and fishing+9.1%Manufacturing: +5.1%Manufacturing+5.1%Education and training: +1.8%Education and training+1.8%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, New England and North West, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance15,52418,497+19.2%
Retail trade11,78413,846+17.5%
Education and training13,01313,247+1.8%
Accommodation and food services10,35212,920+24.8%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing10,39111,332+9.1%
Administrative and support services8,35610,963+31.2%
Public administration and safety8,1599,107+11.6%
Construction6,3327,707+21.7%
Manufacturing6,9207,273+5.1%
Professional, scientific and technical services4,6165,476+18.6%
Transport, postal and warehousing4,0874,812+17.7%
Other services4,1184,727+14.8%
Wholesale trade4,0624,650+14.5%
Financial and insurance services2,9294,458+52.2%
Mining2,2022,507+13.9%
Rental, hiring and real estate services1,7011,930+13.5%
Arts and recreation services1,0221,463+43.2%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services917940n/a
Information media and telecommunications582667n/a
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, New England and North West, 2023137,731 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 18,497Health care and social assistance18,497Retail trade: 13,846Retail trade13,846Education and training: 13,247Education and training13,247Accommodation and food services: 12,920Accommodation and food services12,920Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 11,332Agriculture, forestry and fishing11,332Administrative and support services: 10,963Administrative and support services10,963Public administration and safety: 9,107Public administration and safety9,107Construction: 7,707Construction7,707

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, New England and North West, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance18,49713%
Retail trade13,84610%
Education and training13,24710%
Accommodation and food services12,9209%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing11,3328%
Administrative and support services10,9638%
Public administration and safety9,1077%
Construction7,7076%
Manufacturing7,2735%
Professional, scientific and technical services5,4764%
Transport, postal and warehousing4,8123%
Other services4,7273%
Wholesale trade4,6503%
Financial and insurance services4,4583%
Mining2,5072%
Rental, hiring and real estate services1,9301%
Arts and recreation services1,4631%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services9401%
Information media and telecommunications6670%
All industries137,731100%

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, New England and North WestIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • New England and North West
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$45k$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023New England and North WestNew England and North West, 2019: $46,637New England and North West, 2020: $48,682New England and North West, 2021: $50,905New England and North West, 2022: $52,000New England and North West, 2023: $55,076$55,076New 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, New England and North West
YearNew England and North WestNew South WalesAustralia
2019$46,637$53,104$52,256
2020$48,682$54,989$53,878
2021$50,905$57,891$56,485
2022$52,000$58,972$58,260
2023$55,076$63,301$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, New England and North WestIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against New South Wales and Australia.
  • New England and North West
  • New South Wales
  • Australia
$50k$60k$70k$80k20192020202120222023New England and North WestNew England and North West, 2019: $52,491New England and North West, 2020: $54,639New England and North West, 2021: $56,596New England and North West, 2022: $58,259New England and North West, 2023: $61,778$61,778New 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, New England and North West
YearNew England and North WestNew South WalesAustralia
2019$52,491$66,377$63,517
2020$54,639$68,690$65,591
2021$56,596$71,848$68,452
2022$58,259$74,232$70,950
2023$61,778$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
191,401
ABS, 2025 · up 2.1% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
112,839
ABS, 2024 · up 0.1% since 2020[3]

New South Wales' population was up 5.9% from 2020 to 2025, and the New England and North West's up 2.1%.[3]

7 Businesses

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

Businesses in the area
21,495
ABS, 2025 · up 6.4% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, New England and North West, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 14,051No employees14,0511–4 employees: 5,2261–4 employees5,2265–19 employees: 1,8465–19 employees1,84620 or more employees: 37220 or more employees372

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, New England and North West, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees12,65214,051+11.1%
1–4 employees5,4725,226−4.5%
5–19 employees1,8151,846+1.7%
20 or more employees272372+36.8%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in the New England North West, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in this ABS area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in the New England North West
823
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, New England North WestThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 398Healthcare & Medical398Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 167Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics167Retail & Consumer Products: 40Retail & Consumer Products40Community Services & Development: 35Community Services & Development35Self Employment: 33Self Employment33Trades & Services: 30Trades & Services30Hospitality & Tourism: 24Hospitality & Tourism24Mining, Resources & Energy: 24Mining, Resources & Energy24

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, New England North West
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical398
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics167
Retail & Consumer Products40
Community Services & Development35
Self Employment33
Trades & Services30
Hospitality & Tourism24
Mining, Resources & Energy24

9 Quick answers

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

How many jobs are advertised in the New England and North West?

1,405 online job ads a month were placed in the New England and North West, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is the New England and North West's job market growing or shrinking?

Growing: online job ads in the New England and North West were up 2.9% on a year earlier, from 1,366 to 1,405 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 New England and North West?

Medical practitioners and nurses had the most online ads, 358 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by legal, social and welfare professionals (167) and carers and aides (73). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for farmers and farm managers rose fastest, up 80.0%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in the New England and North West?

4.8% of the labour force in the New England and North West was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 4.9% across New South Wales. It was 6.4% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 56.1%, 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 New England and North West?

Average (mean) employee income in the New England and North West was $61,778 in 2023; the median was $55,076, 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 New England and North West?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in the New England and North West: 18,497 in 2023, 13% of the 137,731 employee jobs. Next were retail trade (13,846) and education and training (13,247).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in the New England and North West?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, financial and insurance services grew fastest, with 52% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by arts and recreation services (43% more).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is the New England and North West's population growing?

191,401 people lived in the New England and North West in 2025, up 2.1% since 2020. New South Wales' population was up 5.9% over the same years. The working-age population was 112,839 in 2024, up 0.1% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in the New England and North West?

At least 823 jobs are live on ViewJobs in the New England and North West, as of 25 Oct 2026. They are the ads in the New England North West, a ViewJobs region whose towns all sit in the area. The most advertised are Healthcare & Medical (398), Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (167) and Retail & Consumer Products (40).

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 New England and North West here is ABS SA4 110 New England and North West. 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 25 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 25 October 2026.
  4. ViewJobs, Live job ads on ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026. viewjobs.com.au.

Cite this report

ViewJobs (2026). New England and North West job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/nsw/new-england-and-north-west

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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