CANBERRA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of jobs in Australia with workforce shortages has fallen year-on-year, according to government data.
Jobs and Skills Australia on Wednesday released the annual occupation shortage list for 2026, revealing that 27 percent of assessed occupations have a national workforce shortage, down from 29 percent in 2025 and a record high of 36 percent in 2023.
The government agency said workforce shortages remained concentrated among professionals, technicians and trade workers, which accounted for 90 percent of occupations that have been in a workforce shortage every year since 2021.
It said that almost half of technician and trade worker occupations, and 37 percent of occupations filled by professionals, were assessed as being in a shortage in 2026.
An analysis by Jobs and Skills Australia identified supply pipeline constraints, a lack of suitable applicants and retention challenges as the key drivers of workforce shortages.
According to the list, occupations that have been in a national workforce shortage every year since 2021 include agricultural technicians, aircraft maintenance technicians, carpenters and diesel technicians.
Cyber security engineers, timber and wood production operators and vascular surgeons were among the occupations assessed as having no shortage in 2026 after having national shortages in 2025. ■
