Yorke Peninsula and Clare Valley recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Kadina, Wallaroo, Moonta, Maitland, Clare, Balaklava and across Yorke Peninsula and the Clare Valley hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people. We start with people who already live in the region and widen the search when the role needs it.
Yorke Peninsula and the Clare Valley at a glance
- of recruiting employers in the Mid North SA region had difficulty hiring
- 47%
- Year to August 2026; a lack of suitable applicants was the main reason.1
- unemployment on the Copper Coast
- 6.7%
- Against 3.1% in Clare and Gilbert Valleys, June quarter 2026.2
- of jobs in the Mid North SA region are in health care and social assistance
- 18%
- 9,600 of 52,800 employed people, the largest industry.3
How do the Copper Coast and the Clare Valley compare?
The Copper Coast towns of Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta are the region's biggest and fastest-growing centre, yet unemployment there is 6.7%. In the Clare Valley it is 3.1%.2 So a Copper Coast employer often has local applicants to screen, while a Clare employer usually has to attract someone already in work.
Estimated resident population at 30 June 2025 and change over 2024–25,4 and smoothed unemployment rate, June quarter 2026,2 by council area.
| Council area | Population (30 June 2025) | Change 2024–25 | Unemployment (June quarter 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Coast (Kadina, Wallaroo, Moonta) | 16,601 | +1.6% | 6.7% |
| Yorke Peninsula | 12,242 | +0.7% | 5.9% |
| Clare and Gilbert Valleys | 9,467 | +0.2% | 3.1% |
| Wakefield | 6,993 | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Northern Areas | 4,688 | +0.2% | 4.7% |
| Goyder | 4,141 | −0.1% | 7.0% |
| Barunga West | 2,688 | +0.2% | 6.3% |
Who employs people on Yorke Peninsula and in the Clare Valley?
Health care and social assistance is the largest employing industry in the Mid North SA region, followed by farming, construction and manufacturing.3 Public hospitals and health services are run by the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network.5 Farming businesses, builders and councils employ many more, and the Clare Valley crushed 13,226 tonnes of wine grapes in 2026.6
Employed people, eight largest industries, Mid North SA employment region (Yorke Peninsula, the Clare Valley, the Barossa and the Mid North, including Port Pirie), four-quarter average to February 2026.3
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 9,600 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 8,000 |
| Construction | 4,500 |
| Manufacturing | 4,500 |
| Education and training | 3,800 |
| Retail trade | 3,500 |
| Mining | 2,800 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,600 |
How hard is it to hire on Yorke Peninsula and in the Clare Valley?
In the year to August 2026, 50% of the 140 employers surveyed across the Mid North SA region were recruiting or had recruited in the past month, and 47% of those had difficulty filling a role. The main reasons were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants without the technical skills, the location and too few applicants.1
The region's federal employment plan points to an older population and an ageing workforce, unmet demand in health, aged and disability care, child care, food production, hospitality and retail, and a pipeline of investment in renewables, resources and construction.7 Experience is often the hardest thing to find, so we look hard for it.
Experienced and older workers
Many people who have moved to the coast for a change of pace still bring decades of professional or trade experience. The regional employment plan backs Lifestyle Jobs Yorke Peninsula, an initiative to connect employers with older people in the region who want to work.7
If a role could suit part-time hours, a fixed number of days or an experienced person easing towards retirement, tell us. It can widen the field a long way on the peninsula.
Which jobs are most advertised in the region?
Nursing and medical jobs lead the online job ads across the wider area, ahead of carers and aides and health and welfare support workers.8
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Barossa - Yorke - Mid North SA4 (also includes the Barossa and Port Pirie), three-month average to September 2026.8
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 94 |
| Carers and aides | 37 |
| Health and welfare support workers | 33 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre staff and receptionists | 30 |
| Health diagnostic and therapy professionals | 26 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 23 |
| Food trades | 22 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 21 |
Which roles do we recruit on Yorke Peninsula and in the Clare Valley?
Open a role type for 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.
Nursing, allied health and care
Registered and enrolled nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists for hospitals, aged care and community services. We also recruit health administration and management staff, and support workers including assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Shortage
- Registered nurses in aged care, mental health, and critical care and emergency, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers (the ANZSCO occupation that includes disability support workers) are rated in shortage in 2026, and enrolled nurses and hospital pharmacists are rated short in regional areas.9
- Employers
- Public hospitals and health services across the peninsula and the Mid North, run by the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network, plus aged-care and disability providers.5
- What to put in your brief
- The registration, the roster and on-call load, and who supports a clinician in a small country hospital.
- How we help
- We search the region and Adelaide, and talk with candidates frankly about the town, the roster and housing.
Building, agricultural and electrical trades
Carpenters, plumbers, electricians, diesel motor mechanics and fitters for builders, farm machinery dealers, grain handling and engineering workshops.
- Shortage
- Carpenters and joiners, plumbers, electricians, diesel motor mechanics and fitters are all rated in shortage in 2026.9
- Registration
- Electrical, plumbing and gas fitting work needs a South Australian worker registration administered by Consumer and Business Services.10
- Local training
- TAFE SA teaches at its Kadina and Narungga campuses.11
- What to put in your brief
- The type of work, the area you cover, harvest or building-season peaks and the tickets the work needs.
Agriculture, wine and technical staff
Agronomists, farm managers, viticulturists and winemakers, and technical and laboratory staff.
- Shortage
- Agronomists are rated in shortage in 2026; winemakers are not.9
- Season
- Seeding, harvest and vintage set the busiest months, so tell us when the peak runs and how the role changes through the year.
- What to put in your brief
- The crops or varieties, the size of the operation, the machinery and how much travel the role involves.
- How we help
- We look for people with the right experience in grain and wine districts, and talk with them about the town and the season.
Business, engineering and community professionals
Accountants, civil engineers, office managers, social workers and community services staff for councils, practices and service organisations.
- Shortage
- Civil engineers are rated in shortage in 2026; general accountants are not.9
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, who the person reports to and whether the role could suit part-time hours.
- Experienced candidates
- Experienced professionals who have moved to the coast can be a strong fit for senior part-time roles.
- How we help
- We search the region and Adelaide, and talk with each candidate about the role, the town and the hours.
Graduates on Yorke Peninsula and in the Clare Valley
TAFE SA trains people locally at Kadina and Narungga,11 and graduates who grew up on the peninsula or in the valley often want to come home after study in Adelaide. Tell us who will support a graduate in a small team, and we talk that through with them.
How we help you hire on Yorke Peninsula and in the Clare Valley
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Transport, housing and moving to the region
The regional employment plan names the need for better private and public transport, and help with driver's licences.7 Tell us where the working day starts and how far the person will drive, and whether you can offer accommodation, a relocation allowance or a vehicle, 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 Yorke Peninsula or in the Clare Valley?
Experienced tradespeople, nurses and allied health professionals, agronomists and office professionals, recent graduates, people planning a move and experienced people looking for part-time work 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 Yorke Peninsula or Clare Valley hire
Tell us about the role, the town, the hours 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 on Yorke Peninsula and in the Clare Valley?
Often. In the year to August 2026, 47% of recruiting employers in the Mid North SA region had difficulty filling a role, and a lack of suitable applicants was the main reason.1 Hire Australia searches the peninsula and the valley first, then Adelaide and further afield for people with the right experience.
Can Hire Australia find experienced people for part-time roles?
Yes. Many experienced professionals and tradespeople live on Yorke Peninsula and want fewer hours rather than none. Hire Australia recruits for permanent part-time roles as well as full-time ones, so tell us the days and hours that would work and we will search for people whose experience fits that pattern.
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 Yorke Peninsula or Clare Valley role costs nothing, whichever town the job is based in.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Kadina or Clare?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Yorke Peninsula and the Clare Valley. Our search starts with people who live, study or train in the region, along with candidates from Adelaide and elsewhere who are planning a move.
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 for jobs on Yorke Peninsula or in Clare?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, the hours you are after and which towns you'd consider, from Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta to Maitland, Minlaton, Clare and Balaklava. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and about the practical side of a move.
Sources (11)
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- SA Health, Yorke and Northern Local Health Network. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Wine Australia, for the South Australian Wine Industry Association and Wine Grape Council of South Australia, The SA Winegrape Crush Survey 2026. Published July 2026. Data: 2026 vintage; 282 respondents; higher non-response may explain some regional falls. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan, Mid North Employment Region (June 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 ↑
- TAFE SA, TAFE SA locations: Yorke Peninsula and Mid North (campuses Kadina, Narungga and Port Pirie). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑