Jobs in New South Wales
Online job ads and the labour force in New South Wales, from the latest official releases. Data to .
Online job ads,
61,600
down 0.3% on a year earlier Steady
Unemployment rate,
4.7%
up 0.5 points on a year earlier Rising
Employed people,
4,514,400
up 1.2% on a year earlier
Job ads seasonally adjusted. Labour force seasonally adjusted.
In plain English
- In there were 61,600 new online job ads in New South Wales, seasonally adjusted.
- Compared with , ads were down 0.3%, so by our rule they are steady over the year.
- Over the month, ads held steady (down 0.6% on ).
- Compared with the monthly average of 60,600, ads were up 1.8%.
- The unemployment rate was 4.7% in (seasonally adjusted), up 0.4 points on and up 0.5 points on a year earlier: rising by our rule.
- Employment grew over the year (up 1.2%), to 4,514,400 people. The participation rate was 65.7%.
- Professionals had the most ads (19,800, 32.2% of the total).
- Among detailed groups with at least 200 ads in both months, ads rose most over the year for Medical Practitioners and Nurses (up 37.8%).
- They fell most for Education Professionals (down 20.6%).
The words follow fixed rules from the numbers: see the methodology.
Online job ads, the past five years
Unemployment rate, the past five years
Job ads by occupation group
The eight major groups, seasonally adjusted.
| Occupation group | Ads, September 2026 | On the month | On the year | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers | 8,110 | down 1.5% | up 2.5% | Steady |
| Professionals | 19,800 | up 0.7% | up 4.4% | Steady |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 7,540 | down 3.2% | down 3.0% | Steady |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 5,830 | down 4.3% | down 6.6% | Falling |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 8,760 | up 1.4% | down 3.4% | Steady |
| Sales Workers | 4,760 | down 2.0% | down 6.5% | Falling |
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | 3,270 | up 0.3% | up 7.9% | Rising |
| Labourers | 3,740 | down 0.7% | down 2.1% | Steady |
| All occupations | 61,600 | down 0.6% | down 0.3% | Steady |
All detailed occupation groups
Regions in New South Wales
Jobs and Skills Australia's job ad regions, as three-month averages.
| Region | Ads, three months to September 2026 | On the year | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountains, Bathurst & Central West NSW | 2,360 | up 11.2% | Rising |
| Dubbo & Western NSW | 1,360 | up 2.5% | Steady |
| Gosford & Central Coast | 1,600 | down 1.1% | Steady |
| Illawarra & South Coast | 2,360 | up 3.3% | Steady |
| NSW North Coast | 3,720 | up 4.6% | Steady |
| Newcastle & Hunter | 5,040 | down 5.5% | Falling |
| Riverina & Murray | 2,150 | up 7.4% | Rising |
| Southern Highlands & Snowy | 1,300 | up 21.6% | Rising |
| Sydney | 41,700 | down 2.8% | Steady |
| Tamworth and North West NSW | 1,400 | up 3.3% | Steady |
By skill level
The level of education or experience the advertised job usually needs, as classified by the ABS.
| Skill level the job usually needs | Ads, September 2026 | On the month | On the year | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill level 1: bachelor degree or higher | 25,500 | up 0.3% | up 3.9% | Steady |
| Skill level 2: advanced diploma or diploma | 6,860 | down 0.4% | down 0.7% | Steady |
| Skill level 3: certificate IV, or certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training | 8,440 | down 2.6% | down 5.9% | Falling |
| Skill level 4: certificate II or III | 14,400 | down 0.9% | down 2.6% | Steady |
| Skill level 5: certificate I or secondary education | 6,750 | down 0.1% | down 1.9% | Steady |
Month by month
| Month | Online job ads | Unemployment rate | Employed people |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 61,900 | 4.2% | 4,462,500 |
| October 2025 | 62,900 | 4.2% | 4,499,600 |
| November 2025 | 61,300 | 3.9% | 4,485,500 |
| December 2025 | 63,000 | 4.0% | 4,487,900 |
| January 2026 | 67,000 | 4.2% | 4,494,200 |
| February 2026 | 63,000 | 4.1% | 4,535,800 |
| March 2026 | 63,600 | 4.3% | 4,569,300 |
| April 2026 | 62,400 | 4.4% | 4,519,400 |
| May 2026 | 61,300 | 4.3% | 4,516,800 |
| June 2026 | 61,100 | 4.0% | 4,558,600 |
| July 2026 | 62,000 | 4.3% | 4,549,400 |
| August 2026 | 62,000 | 4.4% | 4,549,400 |
| September 2026 | 61,600 | 4.7% | 4,514,400 |
What this means
General notes on reading job ads in New South Wales, 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.
Get the monthly briefing
The headline numbers for Australia and each state, once a month when new data is out.
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.
Labour force: Australian Bureau of Statistics () 'Table 001. Labour force status by Sex, Australia - Trend, Seasonally adjusted and Original' and 'Table 010. Labour force status by Sex, State and Territory - Trend, Seasonally adjusted and Original' [time series spreadsheets], Labour Force, Australia (opens another site), released , accessed 8 November 2026. Used under CC BY 4.0 (opens another site). Figures rounded; changes and descriptions by Career Calling Insights.
Neither publisher endorses this site. How the numbers are turned into words: methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.