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Job market report

Greater Adelaide job market report

Online job ads, unemployment, industries and pay in Greater Adelaide, South Australia, 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 Greater Capital City Statistical Area 4GADE
Sources
JSA, ABS and ViewJobs

Key findings

  1. Steady: online job ads in Greater Adelaide were up 1.9% on a year earlier, from 12,205 to 12,437 a month in the three months to September 2026.

    Over the same year, ads were up 2.6% across South Australia and up 0.6% across Australia.[1][2]

    Section 1: Job ads and demand →

  2. General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists had the most online ads, 895 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (751) and sales assistants and salespersons (713).

    Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for cleaners and laundry workers rose fastest, up 57.4%.[1]

    Section 2: Which jobs are in demand →

  3. Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, health care and social assistance grew fastest, with 42% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by arts and recreation services (37% more).

    Information media and telecommunications had 3% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.[3]

    Section 4: Industries growing and shrinking →

  4. 5.5% of the labour force in Greater Adelaide was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.4% across South Australia.

    It was 7.7% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 61.7%, against 60.0% across South Australia. 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.

Greater Adelaide
+1.9%
12,437 ads a month[1]
South Australia
+2.6%
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, Greater AdelaideThree-month average, October 2023 to September 2026.
10k11k12k13k14kJan 2024Sep 2024May 2025Jan 2026Sep 2026Greater AdelaideGreater Adelaide, Sep 2026: 12,43712,437

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Online job ads a month, Greater Adelaide
MonthOnline job ads a month
October 202313,280
November 202312,839
December 202311,204
January 202411,135
February 202411,239
March 202412,343
April 202412,035
May 202412,092
June 202411,832
July 202411,747
August 202411,618
September 202412,036
October 202412,426
November 202412,075
December 202410,521
January 202510,484
February 202510,519
March 202511,993
April 202511,499
May 202511,855
June 202511,645
July 202512,095
August 202511,851
September 202512,205
October 202512,214
November 202511,940
December 202510,504
January 202610,494
February 202610,766
March 202612,202
April 202611,858
May 202611,805
June 202611,601
July 202611,914
August 202611,979
September 202612,437

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, Greater AdelaideThe 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.
Drivers and storepersons: +11.6%Drivers and storepersons+11.6%Sales assistants and salespersons: +11.2%Sales assistants and salespersons+11.2%Construction, production and distribution managers: +10.4%Construction, production and distribution managers+10.4%Automotive and engineering trades: +8.1%Automotive and engineering trades+8.1%Carers and aides: +4.9%Carers and aides+4.9%Hospitality, retail and service managers: +3.6%Hospitality, retail and service managers+3.6%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals: +3.4%Health diagnostic and therapy professionals+3.4%Corporate managers: +1.9%Corporate managers+1.9%Legal, social and welfare professionals: +1.2%Legal, social and welfare professionals+1.2%Medical practitioners and nurses: −9.6%Medical practitioners and nurses−9.6%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists: −10.8%General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists−10.8%Business, finance and human resource professionals: −11.0%Business, finance and human resource professionals−11.0%

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Show the numbers
Change in online job ads by occupation, Greater Adelaide
Occupation groupAds a month, September 2026A year earlierChange
General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists8951,003−10.8%
Medical practitioners and nurses751831−9.6%
Sales assistants and salespersons713641+11.2%
Carers and aides594566+4.9%
Automotive and engineering trades562520+8.1%
Drivers and storepersons472423+11.6%
Health diagnostic and therapy professionals453438+3.4%
Legal, social and welfare professionals432427+1.2%
Hospitality, retail and service managers430415+3.6%
Corporate managers424416+1.9%
Business, finance and human resource professionals396445−11.0%
Construction, production and distribution managers360326+10.4%
Other labourers360371−3.0%
Other clerical and administrative workers339320+5.9%
Numerical clerks308306+0.7%
Food trades305228+33.8%
Engineers304278+9.4%
ICT professionals295348−15.2%
Office managers, administrators and secretaries290282+2.8%
Engineering, ICT and science technicians277267+3.7%
Electrotechnology and telecommunications trades241208+15.9%
Mobile plant operators240199+20.6%
Sales representatives and agents237264−10.2%
Cleaners and laundry workers233148+57.4%
Construction trades224240−6.7%
Machine and stationary plant operators202179+12.8%
Hospitality workers189190−0.5%
Health and welfare support workers180194−7.2%
Factory process workers154131+17.6%
Health, education, ICT and other managers144111+29.7%
Sports, travel and personal service workers139144−3.5%
Sales, marketing & public relations professionals132149−11.4%
Construction and mining labourers121129−6.2%
Information professionals112125−10.4%
Education professionals106125−15.2%
Transport and design professionals, and architects10199+2.0%
Skilled animal and horticultural workers8694−8.5%
Sales support workers7869+13.0%
Science professionals and veterinarians7782−6.1%
Food preparation assistants7358+25.9%
Jewellers, arts and other trades workers7072−2.8%
Arts and media professionals6661+8.2%
Chief executives, managing directors & legislators6263−1.6%
Hairdressers, printing, clothing and wood trades6276−18.4%
Protective service workers6155+10.9%
Clerical and office support workers, couriers5155−7.3%
Farm, forestry and garden workers3231+3.2%
Farmers and farm managers98+12.5%

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, Greater AdelaideShare of the labour force unemployed at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against South Australia.
  • Greater Adelaide
  • South Australia
5%6%7%8%201120162021Greater AdelaideGreater Adelaide, 2011: 5.8%Greater Adelaide, 2016: 7.7%Greater Adelaide, 2021: 5.5%5.5%South AustraliaSouth Australia, 2011: 5.7%South Australia, 2016: 7.5%South Australia, 2021: 5.4%5.4%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Unemployment rate, Greater Adelaide
CensusGreater AdelaideSouth Australia
2011 Census5.8%5.7%
2016 Census7.7%7.5%
2021 Census5.5%5.4%
Figure 3.2: Labour force participation, Greater AdelaideShare of people aged 15 and over in the labour force at the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, against South Australia.
  • Greater Adelaide
  • South Australia
58%59%60%61%62%201120162021Greater AdelaideGreater Adelaide, 2011: 60.7%Greater Adelaide, 2016: 59.5%Greater Adelaide, 2021: 61.7%61.7%South AustraliaSouth Australia, 2011: 59.9%South Australia, 2016: 58.3%South Australia, 2021: 60.0%60.0%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Labour force participation, Greater Adelaide
CensusGreater AdelaideSouth Australia
2011 Census60.7%59.9%
2016 Census59.5%58.3%
2021 Census61.7%60.0%

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, Greater Adelaide, 2019 to 2023Industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs in 2023, fastest-growing first.
Health care and social assistance: +42.4%Health care and social assistance+42.4%Arts and recreation services: +36.6%Arts and recreation services+36.6%Mining: +35.8%Mining+35.8%Accommodation and food services: +35.3%Accommodation and food services+35.3%Professional, scientific and technical services: +32.4%Professional, scientific and technical services+32.4%Financial and insurance services: +30.0%Financial and insurance services+30.0%Retail trade: +28.6%Retail trade+28.6%Administrative and support services: +27.5%Administrative and support services+27.5%Rental, hiring and real estate services: +26.3%Rental, hiring and real estate services+26.3%Other services: +25.9%Other services+25.9%Electricity, gas, water and waste services: +19.3%Electricity, gas, water and waste services+19.3%Construction: +18.2%Construction+18.2%Transport, postal and warehousing: +17.9%Transport, postal and warehousing+17.9%Wholesale trade: +14.3%Wholesale trade+14.3%Manufacturing: +12.5%Manufacturing+12.5%Education and training: +12.4%Education and training+12.4%Agriculture, forestry and fishing: +9.5%Agriculture, forestry and fishing+9.5%Public administration and safety: +4.3%Public administration and safety+4.3%Information media and telecommunications: −3.2%Information media and telecommunications−3.2%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Change in employee jobs by industry, Greater Adelaide, 2019 to 2023
Industry20192023Change
Health care and social assistance133,420190,026+42.4%
Retail trade85,737110,264+28.6%
Administrative and support services83,024105,863+27.5%
Accommodation and food services70,44695,305+35.3%
Education and training83,48793,867+12.4%
Professional, scientific and technical services57,61376,294+32.4%
Public administration and safety71,10874,180+4.3%
Manufacturing60,92968,543+12.5%
Construction50,60759,819+18.2%
Financial and insurance services32,66342,477+30.0%
Wholesale trade33,65638,465+14.3%
Other services29,30436,905+25.9%
Transport, postal and warehousing27,83532,812+17.9%
Arts and recreation services15,92021,753+36.6%
Rental, hiring and real estate services14,90418,828+26.3%
Information media and telecommunications12,79312,379−3.2%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing9,0609,925+9.5%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services7,7649,264+19.3%
Mining6,4468,752+35.8%
Figure 4.2: Largest industries by employee jobs, Greater Adelaide, 20231,115,840 employee jobs across all industries in the year to 30 June 2023.
Health care and social assistance: 190,026Health care and social assistance190,026Retail trade: 110,264Retail trade110,264Administrative and support services: 105,863Administrative and support services105,863Accommodation and food services: 95,305Accommodation and food services95,305Education and training: 93,867Education and training93,867Professional, scientific and technical services: 76,294Professional, scientific and technical services76,294Public administration and safety: 74,180Public administration and safety74,180Manufacturing: 68,543Manufacturing68,543

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Largest industries by employee jobs, Greater Adelaide, 2023
IndustryEmployee jobsShare of all employee jobs
Health care and social assistance190,02617%
Retail trade110,26410%
Administrative and support services105,8639%
Accommodation and food services95,3059%
Education and training93,8678%
Professional, scientific and technical services76,2947%
Public administration and safety74,1807%
Manufacturing68,5436%
Construction59,8195%
Financial and insurance services42,4774%
Wholesale trade38,4653%
Other services36,9053%
Transport, postal and warehousing32,8123%
Arts and recreation services21,7532%
Rental, hiring and real estate services18,8282%
Information media and telecommunications12,3791%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing9,9251%
Electricity, gas, water and waste services9,2641%
Mining8,7521%
All industries1,115,840100%

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, Greater AdelaideIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against South Australia and Australia.
  • Greater Adelaide
  • South Australia
  • Australia
$50k$55k$60k$65k20192020202120222023Greater AdelaideGreater Adelaide, 2019: $51,884Greater Adelaide, 2020: $53,016Greater Adelaide, 2021: $55,064Greater Adelaide, 2022: $57,044Greater Adelaide, 2023: $60,000$60,000South AustraliaSouth Australia, 2019: $50,403South Australia, 2020: $51,590South Australia, 2021: $53,609South Australia, 2022: $55,407South Australia, 2023: $58,380$58,380AustraliaAustralia, 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, Greater Adelaide
YearGreater AdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
2019$51,884$50,403$52,256
2020$53,016$51,590$53,878
2021$55,064$53,609$56,485
2022$57,044$55,407$58,260
2023$60,000$58,380$61,966
Figure 5.2: Mean employee income, Greater AdelaideIn the year to 30 June, 2019 to 2023, against South Australia and Australia.
  • Greater Adelaide
  • South Australia
  • Australia
$55k$60k$65k$70k$75k20192020202120222023Greater AdelaideGreater Adelaide, 2019: $59,098Greater Adelaide, 2020: $60,789Greater Adelaide, 2021: $62,887Greater Adelaide, 2022: $65,146Greater Adelaide, 2023: $68,201$68,201South AustraliaSouth Australia, 2019: $57,333South Australia, 2020: $59,036South Australia, 2021: $61,072South Australia, 2022: $63,219South Australia, 2023: $66,224$66,224AustraliaAustralia, 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, Greater Adelaide
YearGreater AdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
2019$59,098$57,333$63,517
2020$60,789$59,036$65,591
2021$62,887$61,072$68,452
2022$65,146$63,219$70,950
2023$68,201$66,224$74,579

6 People

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

People living in the area
1,491,015
ABS, 2025 · up 7.1% since 2020[3]
Working-age population, 15 to 64
948,991
ABS, 2024 · up 5.3% since 2020[3]

South Australia's population was up 6.3% from 2020 to 2025, and Greater Adelaide's up 7.1%.[3]

7 Businesses

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

Businesses in the area
130,241
ABS, 2025 · up 15.3% since 2021[3]
Figure 7.1: Businesses by number of employees, Greater Adelaide, 2025Businesses by how many people they employ. The table adds each size's count in 2021 and the change.
No employees: 88,905No employees88,9051–4 employees: 26,3521–4 employees26,3525–19 employees: 11,4795–19 employees11,47920 or more employees: 3,50520 or more employees3,505

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Show the numbers
Businesses by number of employees, Greater Adelaide, 2025
Size20212025Change
No employees73,12988,905+21.6%
1–4 employees26,76726,352−1.6%
5–19 employees10,28811,479+11.6%
20 or more employees2,7843,505+25.9%

8 Jobs on ViewJobs now

Live job ads on ViewJobs in Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills, ViewJobs regions whose towns all sit in this ABS area.

Live jobs on ViewJobs in these regions
3,746
ViewJobs, 25 Oct 2026[4]
Figure 8.1: Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Adelaide and Adelaide HillsThe 8 classifications with the most live ads, as of 25 Oct 2026.
Healthcare & Medical: 513Healthcare & Medical513Retail & Consumer Products: 394Retail & Consumer Products394Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics: 365Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics365Hospitality & Tourism: 291Hospitality & Tourism291Trades & Services: 242Trades & Services242Information & Communication Technology: 228Information & Communication Technology228Community Services & Development: 197Community Services & Development197Construction: 164Construction164

Source: ViewJobs live ads[4].

Show the numbers
Live jobs on ViewJobs by classification, Adelaide and Adelaide Hills
ClassificationLive jobs
Healthcare & Medical513
Retail & Consumer Products394
Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics365
Hospitality & Tourism291
Trades & Services242
Information & Communication Technology228
Community Services & Development197
Construction164

9 Quick answers

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

How many jobs are advertised in Greater Adelaide?

12,437 online job ads a month were placed in Greater Adelaide, on average, in the three months to September 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

Is Greater Adelaide's job market growing or shrinking?

Steady: online job ads in Greater Adelaide were up 1.9% on a year earlier, from 12,205 to 12,437 a month in the three months to September 2026. Over the same year, ads were up 2.6% across South Australia and up 0.6% across Australia.

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

Which jobs are most in demand in Greater Adelaide?

General-inquiry clerks, call centre, receptionists had the most online ads, 895 a month in the three months to September 2026, followed by medical practitioners and nurses (751) and sales assistants and salespersons (713). Among occupation groups with at least 5 ads a month a year earlier and now, ads for cleaners and laundry workers rose fastest, up 57.4%.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia[1].

What is the unemployment rate in Greater Adelaide?

5.5% of the labour force in Greater Adelaide was unemployed at the 2021 Census, against 5.4% across South Australia. It was 7.7% at the 2016 Census. Labour force participation at the 2021 Census was 61.7%, against 60.0% across South Australia. The Census runs every five years, so these are not current rates.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

What is the average wage in Greater Adelaide?

Average (mean) employee income in Greater Adelaide was $68,201 in 2023; the median was $60,000, against $58,380 across South Australia and $61,966 across Australia.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries employ the most people in Greater Adelaide?

Health care and social assistance had the most employee jobs in Greater Adelaide: 190,026 in 2023, 17% of the 1,115,840 employee jobs. Next were retail trade (110,264) and administrative and support services (105,863).

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Which industries are growing or shrinking in Greater Adelaide?

Among industries with 1,000 or more employee jobs, health care and social assistance grew fastest, with 42% more employee jobs in 2023 than in 2019, followed by arts and recreation services (37% more). Information media and telecommunications had 3% fewer employee jobs than in 2019.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

Is Greater Adelaide's population growing?

1,491,015 people lived in Greater Adelaide in 2025, up 7.1% since 2020. South Australia's population was up 6.3% over the same years. The working-age population was 948,991 in 2024, up 5.3% since 2020.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[3].

How many jobs are on ViewJobs in Greater Adelaide?

At least 3,746 jobs are live on ViewJobs in Greater Adelaide, as of 25 Oct 2026. They are the ads in Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills, ViewJobs regions whose towns all sit in the area. The most advertised are Healthcare & Medical (513), Retail & Consumer Products (394) and Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics (365).

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
Greater Adelaide here is ABS Greater Capital City Statistical Area 4GADE. It takes in 4 ABS SA4 regions: Adelaide - Central and Hills, Adelaide - North, Adelaide - South, and Adelaide - 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). Greater Adelaide job market report, data to September 2026. https://www.viewjobs.com.au/job-market/sa/greater-adelaide

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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