Jobs and Skills Australia released its quarterly “Labour Market for Migrants” report on 30 April, offering data-driven insight for would-be foreign workers and the employers who sponsor them. The study shows that while the national economy remains resilient, trend employment has softened across Wholesale Trade, Manufacturing and Agriculture over the 12 months to February 2026. Net Overseas Migration (NOM) in 2024-25 remained highest in New South Wales and Victoria, underscoring ongoing housing-supply strains in Sydney and Melbourne. Population growth is forecast to slow to 1.3 % in 2025-26 and 1.2 % the following year as tighter student-visa settings and higher English-language thresholds take effect. Importantly for global mobility planners, female migrants continue to record higher unemployment rates than their male counterparts in every state except Tasmania and the Northern Territory, hinting at skills-recognition and childcare gaps that could influence dual-career assignment decisions. The report feeds directly into the government’s skilled-occupation-list refresh due in July. Industries lobbying for additional visa allocations—including health care, renewable energy and cybersecurity—will seize on its shortage indicators to press their case. Mobility teams should mine the dataset to anticipate which roles are most likely to remain eligible for employer sponsorship, and to tailor remuneration offers in regions where labour demand is cooling.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia
