Hire AustraliaTalk about hiring
Menu

Recruitment across regional New South Wales

Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers across regional New South Wales, from the Tweed and New England to the Riverina, the Snowy Mountains and the far west, find professional, technical and trade staff, from new graduates to senior people. Outside New South Wales, we recruit for regional employers in every other state and territory as well.

Discuss a roleRegister
Illustrative image: a nurse, electrician and engineer talk beside a country health building, with grain silos and hills behind.

Regional New South Wales at a glance

A third of the state's people live outside Greater Sydney,1 and more than four in ten recruiting regional employers surveyed in the year to August 2026 had difficulty filling a role.2

of people in New South Wales live outside Greater Sydney
34.4%
2,953,694 people, 30 June 2025.1
of recruiting employers in regional New South Wales had difficulty filling a role
44%
Year to August 2026. 50% of employers were recruiting or had recruited in the previous month.2
of recruiting employers in Murray Riverina had difficulty, the highest in regional New South Wales
55%
12 months to August 2026, 110 responding employers.2
occupations in shortage are short only in regional areas
15 of 279
2026 ratings. 279 of 1,021 occupations are rated in shortage nationally or in regional areas. The 15 include construction project managers and enrolled nurses.3

Which industries drive each region of New South Wales?

Health care is the largest employer in almost every region. Mining and defence shape the Hunter, steelmaking the Illawarra and the Navy the Shoalhaven. Unemployment is lowest in the Southern Highlands and the Snowy Monaro (1.6% and 1.7%), so for roles there we search well beyond the shire.4

The Hunter and the coast: population at 30 June 20255, what drives each region, online job ads a month by statistical region (three-month average to September 20266) and smoothed unemployment by council area (June quarter 2026).

RegionMain council areas (population)What drives itJob ads a monthUnemployment
Newcastle and the HunterNewcastle 178,935; Lake Macquarie 224,540; Maitland 100,439Health care, retail, construction and education; mining and defence inland.7,82,803 Newcastle and Lake Macquarie; 2,051 Hunter ValleyNewcastle 4.8%; Muswellbrook 5.9%
Central CoastCentral Coast 357,816Health care, retail and wholesale, construction and education.91,59910Central Coast 4.0%
IllawarraWollongong 224,327; Shellharbour 83,228; Kiama 23,139Health care, retail, education and construction; steelmaking at Port Kembla.11,121,427Wollongong 5.8%; Kiama 2.1%
Southern Highlands and ShoalhavenShoalhaven 111,755; Wingecarribee 53,840Tourism, health care and construction in the Shoalhaven, plus the Navy near Nowra.13773Shoalhaven 4.6%; Wingecarribee 1.6%
South Coast and Snowy MonaroEurobodalla 41,309; Bega Valley 36,921; Snowy Monaro 22,396Tourism, health care and dairy on the coast; energy and alpine tourism on the Monaro.14,151,453 across the Capital Region, including Queanbeyan and GoulburnEurobodalla 4.3%; Snowy Monaro 1.7%
Mid North CoastMidCoast 99,448; Port Macquarie-Hastings 92,432; Kempsey 31,950Health care, construction, education, and accommodation and food.161,561Port Macquarie-Hastings 3.4%; Kempsey 7.1%
Coffs Harbour and the Clarence ValleyCoffs Harbour 82,109; Clarence Valley 56,874Health care, education, retail and construction.17912Coffs Harbour 3.8%; Clarence Valley 5.0%
Northern RiversTweed 101,044; Ballina 48,603; Lismore 43,642Health care, education, retail and construction.171,448Tweed 3.3%; Lismore 4.7%

What drives inland New South Wales?

Inland, agriculture leads New England and the North West and mining ranks in the Central West's top five industries. Tamworth, Orange, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Albury serve wide districts with hospitals, schools and government offices.

Inland regions: population at 30 June 2025, what drives each region (February 2026 employment18), online job ads a month (three-month average to September 2026) and smoothed unemployment (June quarter 2026).4

RegionMain council areas (population)What drives itJob ads a monthUnemployment
New England and the North WestTamworth 66,403; Armidale 29,652Agriculture leads, followed by education, health care and retail.1,405Tamworth 3.6%; Moree Plains 4.9%
Central WestBathurst 45,359; Orange 44,990; Lithgow 20,693Health care, education, retail, construction and mining.191,478Orange 3.4%; Lithgow 5.5%
Dubbo, Orana and the Far WestDubbo 57,384; Broken Hill 17,515Health care, public administration, retail, hospitality and construction.20983Dubbo 2.1%; Bourke 7.5%
RiverinaWagga Wagga 69,108; Griffith 27,458Health care, education, retail and construction.211,238Wagga Wagga 3.6%; Griffith 2.6%
Albury and the MurrayAlbury 59,538; Murray River 14,030Centred on Albury and the river towns, a cross-border labour market with Wodonga.1,029Albury 5.8%; Edward River 5.9%

How hard is it to hire in regional New South Wales?

More than four in ten recruiting regional employers surveyed in the year to August 2026 had difficulty filling a role, the same share as in Greater Sydney.2 Inland, about half struggled, and Central West employers named the location itself among their main reasons.2 So we ask about the town, the roster and your support in the first conversation.

Albury is counted in Victoria’s Goulburn/Murray employment region, not here; see the Albury and Murray guide.

Share of recruiting employers who had difficulty filling a vacancy, 12 months to August 2026, by employment region.2

Employment region% with difficulty
Murray Riverina55%
Central West51%
Far West Orana50%
New England and North West49%
Sydney North and West (includes the Central Coast)46%
Illawarra South Coast42%
Hunter40%
Mid North Coast33%
All of regional New South Wales44%
Greater Sydney (comparison)44%

Our regional New South Wales guides

Each guide covers one region's employers, hiring difficulty, job ads and the roles we fill there.

Albury and Murray

Regional recruitment specialist for Albury, Corowa, Deniliquin and Moama employers hiring professional, technical and trade staff on the NSW side.

Central Coast

Central Coast recruitment for health, trade, engineering and office roles. How a regional recruitment specialist finds skilled locals who commute.

Central West

Regional recruitment specialist helping Orange, Bathurst and Central West employers hire professional, technical and trade staff for health and mining.

Coffs Harbour and Clarence

Coffs Harbour and Grafton recruitment for professional, technical and trade roles. Local hiring data and how a regional recruitment specialist helps.

Dubbo, Orana and Far West

Regional recruitment specialist for Dubbo, Broken Hill and Cobar employers hiring professional, technical and trade staff in health, mining and energy.

Illawarra

Wollongong and Illawarra recruitment for trade, engineering, health and office roles. Local hiring data and how a regional recruitment specialist helps.

Mid North Coast

Recruitment in Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Taree and Forster. Local hiring data and how a regional recruitment specialist fills health and trade roles.

New England and North West

Regional recruitment specialist for Tamworth, Armidale and North West employers hiring professional, technical and trade staff in health, mining and farms.

Newcastle and Hunter

Newcastle and Hunter recruitment for trade, engineering, health and office roles. Local hiring data and how a regional recruitment specialist helps.

Northern Rivers

Northern Rivers recruitment for professional, technical and trade roles, from Lismore to the Tweed, by a regional recruitment specialist.

Riverina

Regional recruitment specialist for Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Riverina employers hiring professional, technical and trade staff in health and agrifood.

South Coast and Snowy Monaro

Recruitment from Batemans Bay and Bega to Cooma and Jindabyne. Local hiring data and how a regional recruitment specialist fills hard-to-fill roles.

Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven

Recruitment in Nowra, the Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands. Local hiring data and how a regional recruitment specialist fills trade and health roles.

Which roles do you recruit in regional New South Wales?

Our regional New South Wales briefs include qualified trades such as electricians, diesel fitters and plumbers, and graduate and experienced engineers and technicians for mining, energy, councils and construction.

In New South Wales, any electrical wiring work needs an electrical licence or certificate, whatever the size of the job,22 and engineers doing professional engineering work on class 2, 3 and 9c buildings must be registered or work under a registered engineer's direct supervision.23

We also fill health roles: registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health administration and management staff, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers. See how we work.

Hiring graduates in regional New South Wales

Regional New South Wales has five universities of its own: the University of Newcastle at Callaghan,24 the University of Wollongong, which also teaches in the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands,25 Charles Sturt University, based in Bathurst,26 Southern Cross University in Lismore27 and the University of New England in Armidale.28 TAFE NSW trains at 157 locations across the state.29

How we help you hire in regional New South Wales

You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.

  1. Step 1

    Understand the role

    First we pin down the role with you: duties, the base town, rosters or site travel, must-have experience and the support your team offers.

  2. Step 2

    Source and screen

    Next we search for people whose study, training or work history fits, and check how they feel about the town, the hours and the move, if there is one.

  3. Step 3

    Introduce suitable people

    We introduce the candidates who best match your brief, so you decide who to interview.

  4. Step 4

    Coordinate the hire

    We coordinate the next steps and keep both sides informed through interviews and the offer. You employ the person directly.

How do we handle drive-in drive-out work and relocation in regional New South Wales?

Mining employed 10,735 people across seven Hunter council areas in 2021,8 and many inland mining, energy and construction roles run on shift rosters. Tell us the base and any drive-in drive-out (DIDO) or fly-in fly-out (FIFO) roster, and we test it with candidates during screening.

If you hire in health, aged care, disability support, education, early childhood or local government in one of the state's eight Welcome Experience regions, the NSW Government offers free relocation and settling-in help to the essential worker and their family, and you can mention it in your job ad.30 Tell us, too, about any housing help or relocation allowance.

We also talk with people coming home to the country or moving out of Sydney. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Looking for work in regional New South Wales?

Send Hire Australia your details, the part of the state you have in mind and the kind of work you're after. Graduates, experienced people and newcomers are welcome, and we'll call you when a suitable role comes up.

Register

Talk to us about your next regional New South Wales hire

Send us the job title, the town, the hours or roster, the pay range, any licence the work needs and your ideal start date. We cover every region of New South Wales outside Sydney, and the rest of regional Australia.

Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.

Discuss a roleRegister

A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

Good to know.

Which parts of regional New South Wales does Hire Australia recruit in?

All of them. Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist based in Brisbane, and we recruit for employers anywhere in New South Wales outside Greater Sydney, from the Tweed to Albury and on the Central Coast. That is 2,953,694 people, a third of the state (30 June 2025).1 We recruit across Australia too.

Is it hard to hire staff in regional New South Wales?

Often. Of employers outside Greater Sydney surveyed in the year to August 2026, 50% were recruiting or had recruited in the previous month, and 44% of those had difficulty filling a role, the same share as in Sydney.2 About half of recruiting employers inland struggled. Hire Australia builds the town, the roster and any move into the search from the start.

Can Hire Australia help with mining, drive-in drive-out or shift roles in New South Wales?

Yes. Mining employed 10,735 people across seven Hunter council areas, from Maitland to the Upper Hunter, in 2021,8 and many inland mining, energy and construction roles run on rosters. Tell Hire Australia the base, the roster and any travel or accommodation, and we raise them with every candidate before any introduction.

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. Hire Australia uses the same terms for roles anywhere in regional New South Wales, from the Northern Rivers to the Riverina.

Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?

No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.

Can I register with Hire Australia while I'm deciding where in regional New South Wales to live?

Yes. Many people who register with Hire Australia are still choosing between the Hunter, the coast and inland cities. Give us a shortlist of places, your work history and your likely start date, and we'll explain the job market in each before you commit to a move.

Sources (30)

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  2. Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State and Regional Snapshot update, New South Wales combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026; Rest of NSW weighted; regional samples of 52 to 284 employers, unweighted, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  3. Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, OSCA 2024 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  4. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, SALM Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2025) - June quarter 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  5. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  6. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index: Internet Vacancies, ANZSCO2 Occupations, GCCSA and SA4 Regions - September 2026. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  7. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Hunter Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average; median age: Census 2021. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  8. NSW Government (Department of Regional NSW), Hunter Regional Economic Development Strategy - 2023 Update. Data: 2021 (employment); REDS published February 2023. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  9. Net Zero Economy Authority (Australian Government), Regional Profiles: Hunter. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  10. Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index: Internet Vacancies, ANZSCO2 Occupations, IVI Regions - September 2026. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  11. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Illawarra South Coast Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average; median age: Census 2021. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  12. BlueScope, Transforming Port Kembla Steelworks. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  13. NSW Government (Department of Regional NSW), Shoalhaven Regional Economic Development Strategy - 2023 Update. Data: 2021 (employment); REDS published February 2023. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  14. NSW Government (Department of Regional NSW), Far South Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy - 2023 Update. Data: 2021 (employment); REDS published February 2023. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  15. NSW Government (Department of Regional NSW), Snowy Monaro Regional Economic Development Strategy - 2023 Update. Data: 2021 (employment); REDS published February 2023. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  16. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Mid North Coast Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average; median age: Census 2021; covers the Mid North Coast and Coffs Harbour–Grafton SA4s. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  17. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: North Coast Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  18. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: New England and North West Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  19. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Central West Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  20. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Far West Orana Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  21. Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry profile: Murray Riverina Employment Region. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  22. NSW Government (NSW Fair Trading), Electrical licences and certificates. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  23. NSW Government (Building Commission NSW), Professional engineer obligations when working on regulated buildings. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  24. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, National Register: University of Newcastle. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  25. University of Wollongong, UOW locations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  26. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, National Register: Charles Sturt University. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  27. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, National Register: Southern Cross University. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  28. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, National Register: University of New England. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  29. TAFE NSW, TAFE NSW locations. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
  30. NSW Government, The Welcome Experience. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑