Ballarat & Central Highlands: online job ads
Online job ads in this Victoria region, from Jobs and Skills Australia, as three-month averages to .
In plain English
- In the three months to , an average of 900 new online job ads a month were placed in the Ballarat & Central Highlands region (Victoria).
- Compared with a year earlier, ads were up 4.1%, so by our rule ads here are steady.
- Five years earlier, in the three months to , the average was 1,050, so ads are now down 14.4% on then.
- Professionals had the most ads (240 a month, 26.8% of the region's total).
- Among detailed groups with at least 50 ads, the biggest fall over the year was Carers and Aides (down 13.4%).
Region figures are three-month averages and do not add up to state totals. For unemployment and the seasonally adjusted picture, see Victoria.
Online job ads, the past five years
Job ads by occupation group
| Occupation group | Ads, three months to September 2026 | On the month | On the year | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers | 81 | up 10.0% | down 3.2% | Steady |
| Professionals | 240 | down 3.3% | down 3.1% | Steady |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 140 | up 12.9% | up 14.2% | Rising |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 130 | up 7.4% | down 0.3% | Steady |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 120 | down 3.5% | down 3.8% | Steady |
| Sales Workers | 92 | up 12.7% | up 34.1% | Rising |
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | 40 | up 10.1% | up 6.2% | Too few to call |
| Labourers | 60 | up 3.4% | up 16.1% | Rising |
| All occupations | 900 | up 4.1% | up 4.1% | Steady |
All detailed occupation groups
| Occupation group | Ads, three months to September 2026 | On the month | On the year | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives, Managing Directors & Legislators | 3 | down 9.1% | down 9.1% | Too few to call |
| Farmers and Farm Managers | 2 | up 149.9% | down 16.6% | Too few to call |
| Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers | 27 | up 3.8% | up 3.8% | Too few to call |
| Corporate Managers | 20 | up 24.5% | down 17.6% | Too few to call |
| Construction, Production and Distribution Managers | 18 | up 20.0% | up 17.4% | Too few to call |
| Health, Education, ICT and Other Managers | 10 | down 11.4% | down 11.4% | Too few to call |
| Arts and Media Professionals | 8 | up 9.1% | up 60.0% | Too few to call |
| Education Professionals | 15 | down 16.7% | down 36.6% | Too few to call |
| ICT Professionals | 3 | unchanged | down 65.5% | Too few to call |
| Legal, Social and Welfare Professionals | 46 | up 2.2% | up 8.6% | Too few to call |
| Business, Finance and Human Resource Professionals | 27 | up 9.3% | up 9.3% | Too few to call |
| Information Professionals | 5 | down 30.0% | down 48.1% | Too few to call |
| Sales, Marketing & Public Relations Professionals | 6 | unchanged | down 26.1% | Too few to call |
| Transport and Design Professionals, and Architects | 4 | down 8.3% | up 57.2% | Too few to call |
| Engineers | 11 | down 5.7% | up 13.8% | Too few to call |
| Science Professionals and Veterinarians | 4 | up 18.2% | up 30.0% | Too few to call |
| Health Diagnostic and Therapy Professionals | 49 | down 2.6% | up 8.9% | Too few to call |
| Medical Practitioners and Nurses | 63 | down 8.2% | down 4.5% | Steady |
| Engineering, ICT and Science Technicians | 21 | up 10.5% | up 37.0% | Too few to call |
| Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers | 38 | up 9.7% | down 5.8% | Too few to call |
| Construction Trades Workers | 14 | up 7.5% | up 7.5% | Too few to call |
| Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers | 14 | up 19.4% | up 26.5% | Too few to call |
| Food Trades Workers | 31 | up 11.9% | up 32.4% | Too few to call |
| Skilled Animal and Horticultural Workers | 10 | up 14.8% | up 6.9% | Too few to call |
| Hairdressers, Printing, Clothing and Wood Trades Workers | 4 | up 57.2% | up 22.2% | Too few to call |
| Jewellers, Arts and Other Trades Workers | 4 | up 33.3% | up 20.0% | Too few to call |
| Health and Welfare Support Workers | 23 | down 1.4% | up 11.5% | Too few to call |
| Carers and Aides | 73 | up 7.3% | down 13.4% | Falling |
| Hospitality Workers | 24 | up 20.0% | up 80.0% | Too few to call |
| Protective Service Workers | 4 | up 50.0% | unchanged | Too few to call |
| Sports, Travel and Personal Service Workers | 7 | down 12.0% | down 21.4% | Too few to call |
| Numerical Clerks | 16 | unchanged | down 9.4% | Too few to call |
| Clerical and Office Support Workers | 3 | up 42.9% | down 28.6% | Too few to call |
| Other Clerical and Administrative Workers | 17 | down 3.8% | up 2.0% | Too few to call |
| Office Managers, Administrators and Secretaries | 16 | down 11.1% | up 17.1% | Too few to call |
| General-Inquiry Clerks, Call Centre Workers, and Receptionists | 67 | down 3.8% | down 6.1% | Falling |
| Sales Representatives and Agents | 15 | up 7.1% | down 4.3% | Too few to call |
| Sales Assistants and Salespersons | 73 | up 17.1% | up 54.2% | Too few to call |
| Sales Support Workers | 4 | down 26.7% | down 31.2% | Too few to call |
| Machine and Stationary Plant Operators | 9 | up 40.0% | down 15.2% | Too few to call |
| Mobile Plant Operators | 8 | unchanged | up 20.0% | Too few to call |
| Drivers and Storepersons | 23 | up 4.6% | up 13.3% | Too few to call |
| Cleaners and Laundry Workers | 16 | up 27.0% | down 17.5% | Too few to call |
| Construction and Mining Labourers | 5 | down 16.7% | up 87.5% | Too few to call |
| Factory Process Workers | 10 | up 20.8% | up 70.6% | Too few to call |
| Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers | 3 | down 37.5% | up 11.1% | Too few to call |
| Food Preparation Assistants | 4 | up 20.0% | down 29.4% | Too few to call |
| Other Labourers | 22 | down 2.9% | up 42.5% | Too few to call |
Month by month
| Three months to | Online job ads |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 870 |
| October 2025 | 880 |
| November 2025 | 880 |
| December 2025 | 810 |
| January 2026 | 810 |
| February 2026 | 840 |
| March 2026 | 890 |
| April 2026 | 830 |
| May 2026 | 830 |
| June 2026 | 820 |
| July 2026 | 870 |
| August 2026 | 870 |
| September 2026 | 900 |
What this means
General notes on reading job ads in Ballarat & Central Highlands, chosen by the direction of job ads over the year. They are not advice about your situation.
For job seekers
A steady count means the number of new ads is much the same as a year ago. The mix of occupations and places can still shift underneath, so look at the groups and regions that matter to you.
For students
Steady demand today says little about demand when you finish studying. Pair it with longer-term sources such as Jobs and Skills Australia's employment projections (opens another site) and Your Career (opens another site).
For employers
With ad numbers steady, competition for staff is likely to be similar to a year ago. The occupation tables show where that differs for the roles you hire.
Job ads are not all jobs: many roles are filled without an online ad. See the limits of the data.
Sources and licences
Online job ads: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index (opens another site), data, released . © Commonwealth of Australia, used under CC BY 4.0 (opens another site). Figures rounded; changes, shares and descriptions by Career Calling Insights.
Neither publisher endorses this site. How the numbers are turned into words: methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.