Using datasets from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) provides a monthly snapshot of the regional labour market, offering insights into key indicators for job vacancies, labour force size, participation rate, employed population and unemployment rate.  This analysis not only captures current labour market dynamics but also examines historical trends to provide a comprehensive perspective for regional Australia.

Regional Australia is defined as all parts of Australia outside the five metropolitan cities with populations exceeding one million people-Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. 

The December 2025 labour market data shows an expected seasonal softening in regional jobs vacancies but continuing tightness and strength in regional labour markets overall. Improvements in employment, participation, and unemployment indicate that labour demand remains broadly balanced by supply. Widespread lower regional job vacancies than this time last year, however, may point to a softening in regional labour markets in 2026.

Regional Job Vacancies

Regional job vacancies advertised online were 65,973 in February 2026, recording an increase of 2.1% compared with the previous month, following the typical post-Christmas rebound. Vacancies were also 1.5% higher than the same period last year. By comparison, metropolitan areas recorded a stronger monthly rise of 3.6% but were 2.3% lower than a year ago. 

Regional Australia Job Vacancies

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, monthly internet vacancies, RAI

The top three occupational categories for regional job vacancies were Professionals (27%), Technicians and Trade Workers (16%) and Community and Professional Service Workers (12%).  

The regions with the fastest monthly increases in jobs vacancies were:

• Dubbo & Western NSW (8.7%)
• North West Tasmania (5.6%)
• Pilbara & Kimberley (4.8 %)

Regional job vacancies in all states and territories recorded monthly growth. New South Wales (7.6%) and South Australia (5.9%) recorded significant annual growth in vacancies. Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia also recorded annual growth but there were declines in Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory.

Number of advertised job vacancies

Regional Labour Force

In February, the regional labour force increased to 5,115,000, representing a 2.3% rise from the previous month. Following short-term fluctuations, the long-term upward trend has been maintained, in line with regional population growth. This is also a positive sign that more people are engaging in the labour market. 

Regional Australia labour force size

Source: ABS Labour Force (detailed), RAI

The table below presents the regional labour force size by state and territory. Queensland has the largest regional labour force with 1,5171,000 people, making up 47.7% of the state’s total labour force. Western Australia has proportionally the smallest regional labour force at 17.8%. Note that for Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, the entire jurisdiction is classified as regional.

Regional Employed Persons

In line with the monthly rise in the labour force, the number of employed people in regional Australia reached 4,899,000 in February, an increase of 2.3% from January. Regional employment has flattened and is only 0.5% higher than the same period two years ago. 

Regional Australia employed people

Source: ABS Labour Force (detailed), RAI

Regional Australia Participation Rate

The regional labour force participation rate increased to 63.3% in February 2026. When smoothing out seasonal fluctuations, the annual moving average is trending lower at 63.0% and has been trending downward since January 2025. Labour force participation measures the labour force as a percentage of all working-age people (aged 15 and over).

Regional Australia Participation Rate

Source: ABS Labour Force (detailed) RAI

Regional Australia Unemployment Rate

The regional unemployment rate held steady at 4.2% in February. Despite monthly variations, the unemployment rate in recent years has remained at historically low levels, meaning there are fewer workers available to fill job vacancies. The upward trend in the regional unemployment rate since 2022, however, coincides with the flattening in the growth in employed persons above.  

Regional Australia Unemployment Rate

Source: ABS Labour Force (detailed) RAI

Maitland City Council covers approximately 392 square kilometres and had an estimated resident population of 98,000 people in 2024. Maitland’s economy is shaped by its role as a fast-growing regional city within the Hunter region, supported by strong connections to Newcastle and Sydney, with key industries including construction, health services, retail and education. The region’s five-year population growth rate of 13.0% (2019-2024) is well above the national regional average of 6.3%. 

In February 2026, Maitland’s estimated labour force participation rate was 62.1%, slightly lower than Regional NSW’s average of 63.8%. The local unemployment rate stood at 3.7%, higher than the state average of 3.6%. 

Across the broader Newcastle & Hunter (IVI) region, which includes Maitland and surrounding areas, 4,626 online job advertisements were posted in February. 

The top three most in-demand occupation groups for the Newcastle & Hunterregion were Carers and Aides (352), Medical Practitioners and Nurses (347), and General-Inquiry Clerks, Call Centre Workers, and Receptionists (331). 

Maitland demonstrates a growth-driven labour market. As a rapidly expanding regional centre, the city plays an important role in accommodating population growth and supporting employment across the wider Hunter region.

Note: 

This report integrates data from two key sources: 

• Job Vacancy Data: Regional job vacancies are sourced from the Internet Vacancy Index (IVI) which is derived from job postings on SEEK, CareerOne and Workforce Australia and provided by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA). Vacancies are measured using IVI regions. 
• Labour Market Indicators: Labour force size, employed population, unemployment rate and participation rate are sourced from the ABS Labour Force (detailed data) and measured using the ABS Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs).

While efforts have been made to align the definition of regional Australia across datasets, differences in geographic boundaries result in minor discrepancies. Users should be aware of these variations when interpreting the data:

• For IVI data, regional Australia includes all IVI regions except Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.
• For ABS labour market indicators, regional Australia is defined as areas outside Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne, Greater Brisbane, Greater Adelaide and Greater Perth (GCCSAs).

 1) Regional labor market information is also available using the RAI’s interactive online tool, the Regional Jobs Guide