Eyre Peninsula recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Tumby Bay and across the Eyre Peninsula hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people. We start with people who already live on the peninsula and widen the search when the role needs it.
Eyre Peninsula at a glance
- of the peninsula's council residents live in the City of Port Lincoln
- 41%
- 15,065 of about 36,800 people across ten councils, 30 June 2025.1
- of recruiting employers in the state's north and west had difficulty hiring
- 39%
- Year to August 2026. The location was the reason they gave most often.2
- unemployment in Ceduna
- 10.8%
- Against 3.9% in Lower Eyre and 5.0% in Port Lincoln, June quarter 2026.3
Where do people live and work on the Eyre Peninsula?
Port Lincoln is the peninsula's city, and most other councils have fewer than 3,000 residents. The labour pool shifts sharply from town to town: unemployment is low in the farming councils around Port Lincoln and Cleve, and above 10% in Ceduna and Streaky Bay on the far west coast.3
Population barely moved in 2024–25, so most employers fill roles from a stable local workforce or by attracting people to move.1
Estimated resident population at 30 June 2025 and change over 2024–25,1 and smoothed unemployment rate, June quarter 2026,3 by council area.
| Council area | Population (30 June 2025) | Change 2024–25 | Unemployment (June quarter 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Lincoln | 15,065 | 0.0% | 5.0% |
| Lower Eyre | 6,268 | +0.7% | 3.9% |
| Ceduna | 3,757 | +0.1% | 10.8% |
| Tumby Bay | 2,963 | +0.3% | 3.3% |
| Streaky Bay | 2,292 | +0.5% | 10.5% |
| Cleve | 1,771 | +0.6% | 2.8% |
| Franklin Harbour | 1,367 | +0.6% | 2.7% |
| Wudinna | 1,171 | +0.2% | 3.4% |
| Kimba | 1,064 | −0.3% | 2.8% |
| Elliston | 1,057 | +0.3% | 3.4% |
Who employs people on the Eyre Peninsula?
Health care is the largest employing industry across the north and west of South Australia, ahead of retail, mining and education, and farming, forestry and fishing employ about 2,800 people in the region.4 On the peninsula, public hospitals, aged care, community health and mental health services are run by the Eyre and Far North Local Health Network, which covers 337,626 square kilometres and a resident population of 41,000.5
Councils, schools, grain handlers, seafood and aquaculture businesses, agricultural dealers and engineering workshops make up much of the rest. Many are small teams where one hire covers several jobs, and we write that breadth into the search.
How hard is it to hire on the Eyre Peninsula?
In the year to August 2026, 49% of the 57 employers surveyed in the state's north and west were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 39% of those found a role hard to fill. Distance from the main population centres was the reason they gave most often, followed by too few applicants, the working conditions or hours, and applicants without the right skills.2
The region's federal employment plan also names housing and childcare shortages and a growing shortage of care and support workers.6 We ask about housing and family needs early, because they decide many moves to the peninsula.
Which roles do we recruit on the Eyre Peninsula?
Open a role type for demand, shortage, training and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are the 2026 national ratings; we count an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas. Job-ad figures cover the South Australia - Outback statistical area, which includes Whyalla and the Far North.
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.
- Demand
- Medical practitioners and nurses drew 105 online job ads a month across the area, carers and aides 51 and health and welfare support workers 38, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Registered nurses (aged care), midwives and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage in 2026, and enrolled nurses are rated short in regional areas.8
- Employers
- Public hospitals and health services across the peninsula, from Port Lincoln to Ceduna, plus aged-care and disability providers.5
- What to put in your brief
- The registration the role needs, the roster and on-call load, and who supports a nurse working in a small country hospital.
Agricultural, automotive and engineering trades
Qualified diesel motor mechanics, fitters, fabricators and electricians for farm machinery dealers, grain handling, seafood processing and engineering workshops.
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 49 online job ads a month, and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades 20, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Diesel motor mechanics, fitters and electricians are all rated in shortage in 2026.8
- Registration
- Electrical, plumbing and gas fitting work needs a South Australian worker registration administered by Consumer and Business Services.9
- What to put in your brief
- The machinery and brands you service, the tickets the work needs, harvest and seasonal peaks, and any field work.
Agronomists, scientists and technical staff
Graduate and experienced agronomists, fisheries and aquaculture scientists, environmental officers and technical staff for farming, seafood and land management.
- Demand
- Science professionals and veterinarians averaged 7 online job ads a month and engineers 12, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- Agronomists and aquaculture or fisheries scientists are rated in shortage in 2026.8
- Local study
- Adelaide University's Whyalla campus sits on the eastern edge of the Eyre Peninsula.10
- What to put in your brief
- The crops, species or systems involved, how much field travel the role has and the experience level you need.
Business, administration and community services
Accountants, office managers, administration staff, social workers and community services professionals for councils, practices and service organisations.
- Demand
- Legal, social and welfare professionals drew 41 online job ads a month and general-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists 44, three-month average to September 2026.7
- Local training
- TAFE SA teaches at campuses in Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Wudinna and Whyalla.11
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, who the person reports to and whether the role covers more than one town.
- How we help
- We look for people with the right experience who already live on the peninsula or have a reason to move there, and talk with them about the hours and the town.
Graduates on the Eyre Peninsula
TAFE SA trains locally in Port Lincoln, Ceduna and Wudinna, and Adelaide University has a campus in Whyalla, on the peninsula's eastern coast.10,11 Graduates who grew up on the peninsula often want to come home. Tell us who will support a graduate in a small team, and we talk that through with them.
How we help you hire on the Eyre Peninsula
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Distance, housing and moving to the Eyre Peninsula
The Eyre and Far North health network alone covers more than 337,000 square kilometres,5 so tell us where the working day starts, how far the person drives and whether there are overnight stays. We discuss them with candidates during screening.
Housing is a common sticking point: the regional employment plan names housing and childcare shortages.6 If you can offer accommodation, a relocation allowance or a vehicle, tell us and we raise it with every candidate who would be moving. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work on the Eyre Peninsula?
Experienced tradespeople, nurses, agronomists and office professionals, recent graduates and people planning a move to the peninsula can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us the work you want and the towns you'd consider, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Eyre Peninsula hire
Tell us about the role, the town, any seasonal peaks and when you need someone to start.
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.
Is it hard to recruit staff on the Eyre Peninsula?
Often. In the year to August 2026, 39% of recruiting employers in South Australia's north and west had difficulty filling a role, and the location was the reason they gave most often.2 Unemployment is low around Port Lincoln and higher on the far west coast, so Hire Australia searches both the local pool and people prepared to move.
Does Hire Australia recruit outside Port Lincoln, in towns like Ceduna and Cleve?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits for employers anywhere on the Eyre Peninsula, including Port Lincoln, Tumby Bay, Cleve, Cowell, Kimba, Wudinna, Streaky Bay, Ceduna and Elliston. Smaller towns usually mean a smaller local pool, so we tell candidates plainly about the town, the drive and the housing before we introduce them to you.
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 an Eyre Peninsula role costs nothing, wherever on the peninsula the job is based.
Does Hire Australia have an office on the Eyre Peninsula?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Port Lincoln and the rest of the Eyre Peninsula. Our search starts with people who live, study or train on the peninsula, along with candidates from elsewhere who are planning a move there.
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 if I want to move to the Eyre Peninsula?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which towns you'd consider. We'll talk with you about suitable roles on the peninsula and about the practical side of the move, such as housing, schools and the drive to work.
Sources (11)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25, Estimated resident population and components by LGA. Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State and Regional Snapshot update, South Australia. Released 22 September 2026. Data: REOS, 12 months to August 2026; small regional samples (57 to 403 employers, unweighted); interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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 ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Region Industry Profiles, South Australia. Published 15 April 2026. Data: ABS Labour Force Survey, Detailed, four-quarter average to February 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- SA Health, Eyre and Far North Local Health Network. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan, North West Country Employment Region (August 2026). 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. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: Three-month average to September 2026. 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 ↑
- Australian Government, Australian Business Licence and Information Service, Plumbing, Gas Fitting or Electrical Workers Registration, South Australia (administering agency: Consumer and Business Services). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Adelaide University, Whyalla Campus (about 380 km from Adelaide; 22-hectare site, the largest regional university campus in South Australia). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- TAFE SA, TAFE SA locations: Eyre Peninsula (campuses Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Wudinna). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑