WA Occupation Shortages: What Employers and Job Seekers Need to Know in 2026

Shortage pressure has eased, but it has not disappeared

Jobs and Skills Australia's 2025 Occupation Shortage List found 29% of assessed occupations in shortage, down from 33% in 2024 and 36% in 2023. That easing matters: employers are finding more suitable applicants in parts of the professional labour market. It does not mean that every occupation now has adequate supply.

The persistent-shortage group remains concentrated. Of the 139 occupations assessed as being in shortage from 2021 through 2025, 71 were Technicians and Trades Workers and 52 were Professionals. Health, education, engineering, science and construction trades feature prominently in the official findings.

The pressure points most relevant to Western Australia

WA's industry mix increases the practical importance of trade, engineering, resources, health and regional service roles. Construction had the highest industry shortage pressure in Jobs and Skills Australia's additional analysis, followed by mining and health care and social assistance. That pattern aligns closely with Perth's role as the commercial and fly-out base for projects across the state.

A state shortage rating is not a promise of a vacancy, high salary or visa outcome. Shortage status means employers have difficulty filling roles at prevailing conditions. Location, specialisation, experience, registration and remuneration can still make two advertisements with the same broad occupation behave very differently.

• Health: registration and clinical specialisation remain decisive.
• Construction and trades: licensing, recent site experience and safety tickets affect suitability.
• Mining: roster experience, medical requirements and equipment competency narrow the candidate pool.
• Education: location and subject specialisation can matter more than the broad occupation title.

How candidates should use the list

Use the Occupation Shortage List as a research input, not a shortcut. Check the WA rating for the exact occupation, compare it with current advertisements, and identify the credential or experience gap that employers repeatedly specify. Training is most valuable when it closes a documented hiring gap and is recognised by the relevant employer or regulator.

Candidates moving into a shortage occupation should also investigate working conditions. Some shortages are driven by long training pipelines; others reflect suitability, retention, pay or conditions. A role can be in shortage while still having barriers that are expensive or time-consuming to overcome.

How employers should respond

Employers cannot advertise their way out of every structural shortage. Review whether requirements are genuinely essential, shorten approval chains, publish the compensation range, and make the roster and location clear. Where the gap is a long training pipeline, apprenticeships, graduate pathways and retention deserve the same attention as sourcing.

Measure qualified applications and time-to-shortlist, not raw application totals. A smaller number of candidates who meet mandatory criteria is more useful than a larger volume created by vague or misleading advertising.