Goulburn, Yass and Crookwell recruitment for employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Goulburn, Yass, Crookwell and across the Southern Tablelands hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people. These towns are in New South Wales. We include them in our Australian Capital Territory guides because the official employment-region boundaries put Goulburn Mulwaree, Yass Valley and Upper Lachlan in the same Capital Region employment region as the ACT.1
Goulburn, Yass and the Upper Lachlan at a glance
- of employed Goulburn Mulwaree residents worked in health care and social assistance
- 15.7%
- August 2021, by place of residence; the largest industry.2
- of employed Yass Valley residents worked in public administration and safety
- 19.5%
- August 2021, by place of residence.2
- of employed Upper Lachlan residents worked in farming, forestry and fishing
- 24.3%
- August 2021, by place of residence.2
- of recruiting employers in the Capital Region had difficulty hiring
- 37%
- Employment region including Canberra and nearby NSW, year to August 2026.3
Three council areas, three different economies
Goulburn is the largest town, with 25,647 people in its urban area at 30 June 2025.4 Its residents work mostly in health care, government, construction and retail. Yass Valley residents lean towards government and construction, and in the Upper Lachlan around Crookwell, a shire its council places about 100 km north of Canberra, farming is the largest industry.5
Unemployment in the June quarter 2026 ranged from 1.2% in Yass Valley to 3.3% in Goulburn Mulwaree.6
Population at 30 June 20257, modelled unemployment in the June quarter 20266 and the two largest industries for employed residents in August 2021, by place of residence.2
| Council area (NSW) | Towns | People | Unemployment | Largest industries for residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goulburn Mulwaree | Goulburn, Marulan | 33,746 | 3.3% | Health care 15.7%; public administration and safety 10.7% |
| Yass Valley | Yass, Murrumbateman | 17,663 | 1.2% | Public administration and safety 19.5%; construction 12.2% |
| Upper Lachlan | Crookwell, Gunning, Taralga | 9,005 | 1.9% | Farming, forestry and fishing 24.3%; health care 11.3% |
Which jobs are advertised across the NSW Capital Region?
Job ads are published for the NSW Capital Region as one area, which covers Goulburn, Yass, the Upper Lachlan and Queanbeyan-Palerang, and also the South Coast and Snowy Monaro. Medical practitioners and nurses were the most advertised occupation group, well ahead of legal, social and welfare professionals and carers and aides.8
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Capital Region (NSW), three-month average to September 2026 (1,453 a month in all).8
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 284 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 166 |
| Carers and aides | 112 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 67 |
| Food trades | 43 |
| Drivers and storepersons | 42 |
How hard is it to hire in Goulburn and Yass?
There is no survey result for these towns on their own. Across the Capital Region employment region, which includes Canberra, 37% of employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026, against 44% nationally. The main reasons were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without the technical skills or enough experience, and the working conditions or hours.3
With so few people out of work, a Goulburn or Yass role usually means attracting someone already employed, possibly in Canberra. We talk with candidates about the town, the drive and the work before they reach your shortlist.
Roles we recruit in Goulburn, Yass and the Upper Lachlan
Open a role type for demand, shortage, pay and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are from the 2026 list (ANZSCO 2022 coding, to match the job-ad and earnings groups); we count an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, health administration and management staff, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Local services
- Goulburn Base Hospital, Yass District Hospital and Crookwell District Hospital are part of the Southern NSW Local Health District,9 and Kenmore Hospital is also in Goulburn.10
- Local industry
- Health care and social assistance was the largest industry for employed Goulburn Mulwaree residents in August 2021, at 15.7%.2
- Demand
- The NSW Capital Region averaged 284 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses, 112 for carers and aides and 44 for health diagnostic and therapy professionals, three-month average to September 2026.8
- Shortage
- On the 2026 list, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Midwife, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Aged or Disabled Carer are rated in shortage nationally, and Enrolled Nurse in regional areas.11
- What to put in your brief
- Registration, the setting, the shifts and any travel between towns.
Trades and construction
Electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters and fitters for builders, workshops and service businesses.
- Local industry
- Construction employed 10.5% of working Goulburn Mulwaree residents and 12.2% in Yass Valley in August 2021.2
- Demand
- The NSW Capital Region averaged 67 online job ads a month for automotive and engineering trades and 21 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades.8
- Shortage
- Electrician (General), Motor Mechanic (General), Diesel Motor Mechanic, Plumber (General) and Carpenter are rated in shortage nationally on the 2026 list.11
- Pay (electricians)
- Award minimum: $1,223.11 a week with industry, tool and licence allowances, from 1 July 2026, for a licensed electrician (Electrical worker grade 5) employed by an electrical contracting business, which is what the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award covers.12 National median for full-time electricians: $2,191 a week (May 2025).13
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licence, the sites, the hours, the pay range and how far the work travels.
Office, government-facing and professional roles
Administrators, finance staff, engineers and technicians for councils, businesses and contractors.
- Local industry
- Public administration and safety employed 19.5% of working Yass Valley residents and 10.7% in Goulburn Mulwaree in August 2021.2
- Demand
- The NSW Capital Region averaged 65 online job ads a month for general-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists, 27 for business, finance and human resource professionals and 20 for engineers.8
- What to put in your brief
- The systems or discipline, the experience level, the hours and any flexibility.
- How we help
- We look for people with relevant experience who live in or near the towns, or who would trade a Canberra commute for local work.
Farming and agriculture
Farm managers, experienced farm staff and the mechanics who support them in the Upper Lachlan and around Yass.
- Local industry
- Farming, forestry and fishing employed 24.3% of working Upper Lachlan residents in August 2021.2
- Where
- Unemployment in the Upper Lachlan was 1.9% in the June quarter 2026,6 and the shire had 9,005 residents at 30 June 2025.7
- What to put in your brief
- The enterprise, the machinery and licences, the season and whether housing comes with the role.
- How we help
- We talk with people who already work on the land in the Southern Tablelands about the property and the hours before we introduce them.
Training and graduates
TAFE NSW has campuses in Goulburn and Yass.14 We also look to graduates of the Canberra universities, and we talk with graduates about the work, the town and the guidance your team gives in their first year.
How we help you hire in Goulburn and Yass
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Travel and relocation
Tell us where the working day starts, any travel between Goulburn, Yass and Crookwell, and whether you would consider someone commuting from Canberra or Queanbeyan. We include it in the search and check candidates are comfortable with it.
If your preferred candidate is moving to the area, we raise housing, timing and any relocation support you offer early.
If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Goulburn, Yass or Crookwell?
Health professionals, tradespeople, office and technical staff, farm workers and graduates can register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and the towns you can reach, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about a role in Goulburn or Yass
Tell us about the role, the town and your timing.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Why does Hire Australia group Goulburn and Yass with Canberra?
Goulburn, Yass and Crookwell are in New South Wales, but the official employment-region boundaries put their council areas in the same Capital Region employment region as the ACT.1 Yass Valley also borders the ACT, and its council describes daily commuter and school transport links with Canberra.15 Hire Australia searches both sides of the border for these roles.
Is it hard to recruit staff in Goulburn?
Often, because few people are out of work: modelled unemployment was 3.3% in Goulburn Mulwaree in the June quarter 2026.6 Across the Capital Region, 37% of recruiting employers had difficulty filling a role in the year to August 2026. Hire Australia approaches people already in work across the region.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. Briefing Hire Australia on a role in Goulburn, Yass or Crookwell costs nothing, and there is no upfront payment for the search.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Goulburn?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Goulburn, Yass and the Upper Lachlan. We work by phone and video with you and with candidates, and our search starts with people who live, study or work in the Southern Tablelands and Canberra, along with people planning a move there.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire in Goulburn or Yass?
No. Hire Australia doesn’t supply labour hire, temps or contractors in Goulburn, Yass or Crookwell. We recruit people into permanent roles that you employ directly, on your payroll from the first day. We search for and screen candidates, introduce the ones who match your brief, and you decide who to hire.
Can I register with Hire Australia for work in Goulburn or Yass?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which towns you can reach, including from Canberra. We'll talk with you about suitable roles in Goulburn, Yass, Crookwell and nearby towns.
Sources (15)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Data sources and quality: Correspondence Table 2, Local Government Areas within Employment Regions. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021, G54 Industry of employment by age by sex, Local Government Areas. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: snapshot update, Australian Capital Territory combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026; ACT 396 employers, weighted; Capital Region employment region 460, unweighted; small samples, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates by Significant Urban Area, 2001 to 2025. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Upper Lachlan Shire Council, Upper Lachlan Shire Council home page. Data: Page read 1 November 2026 at 23:03. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed LGA data files (ASGS 2025), June quarter 2026. Released 9 October 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates and components by LGA. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by GCCSA and SA4 regions, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Southern NSW Local Health District, Our hospitals and facilities. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- healthdirect (Australian Government), Hospitals in Goulburn, NSW 2580. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award 2020 [MA000025]. Data: From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation profile: Electricians. Data: May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE NSW, Locations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Yass Valley Council, About Yass Valley. Data: Page read 1 November 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑