Albany and Great Southern recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Albany, Mount Barker, Denmark, Katanning, Kojonup and across the Great Southern hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Albany and the Great Southern at a glance
- of recruiting Great Southern and Wheatbelt employers had difficulty recruiting
- 53%
- Survey year to August 2026, 119 employers. Recruiting means recruiting or recruited in the past month (54% of employers).1
- of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, the largest industry
- 14.7%
- 4,109 of 27,940 employed residents, August 2021.2
- work in health care and social assistance
- 13.7%
- 3,836 employed residents, August 2021.2
- unemployment in the City of Albany
- 3.1%
- June quarter 2026, against 2.7% in Denmark and 5.5% in Katanning.3
Who employs people in Albany and the Great Southern?
The Great Southern's 11 shires are home to 67,150 people, up 1.3% in the year to 30 June 2025, including 42,308 in the City of Albany.4 Albany, a historic port town, is the region's administrative centre and the transport hub from which most of its crops and livestock are shipped.5
Farming employs the most residents, with health care close behind, then shops, schools, construction and hospitality.2 Mining is almost absent: 36 full-time-equivalent jobs were at sites in the region in 2024–25.6
Share of employed residents by industry, Great Southern region (11 council areas), August 2021.2
| Industry | % of employed residents |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 14.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 13.7% |
| Retail trade | 9.5% |
| Education and training | 9.1% |
| Construction | 8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6.7% |
| Public administration and safety | 5.9% |
| Manufacturing | 5.8% |
Which jobs are most advertised in the Great Southern?
Employers in Albany and the Wheatbelt, which share one job-ads series, placed about 701 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026, close to the 711 of a year earlier.7 Trades lead, followed by office, retail, health and care roles.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Western Australia – Wheat Belt SA4 (includes the Albany area), three-month average to September 2026.7
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Automotive and engineering trades | 59 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 49 |
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 44 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 40 |
| Carers and aides | 39 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 34 |
| Mobile plant operators | 31 |
| Other labourers | 29 |
How hard is it to hire in Albany and the Great Southern?
Harder than the WA average. In the Great Southern-Wheatbelt survey for the year to August 2026, 53% of employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty recruiting, against 48% across WA. The reasons they gave most often were a lack of suitable applicants, applicants lacking experience or technical skills, and the location.1
The region's employment plan names actual and expected shortages in agriculture, allied health, trades, transport, logistics, retail and administration. It also points to young people leaving the region, the shearing industry's adjustment ahead of the end of live sheep exports by sea from 1 May 2028,8 housing and rental shortages and driver's licences as barriers to recruiting staff, and limited childcare as a barrier to working.9 We raise housing and the start date in the first conversation, and we look beyond the region when the local pool is thin.
Where are the Great Southern's towns?
Albany holds most of the region's people, but Mount Barker, Denmark, Katanning and Kojonup each have their own employers and their own pools of people.
Residents at 30 June 2025, distance from Perth and modelled unemployment in the June quarter of 2026, by council area.3,4,5
| Council area (main town) | Residents | Distance from Perth | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | 42,308 | 409 km | 3.1% |
| Plantagenet (Mount Barker) | 5,793 | 359 km | 3.7% |
| Denmark | 6,858 | 414 km | 2.7% |
| Katanning | 4,345 | 295 km | 5.5% |
| Kojonup | 1,985 | 255 km | 3.6% |
Which roles do we recruit in Albany and the Great Southern?
Open a role type for demand, shortage ratings and what to put in your brief. Shortage ratings are for 2026; we count an occupation as in shortage if it is rated in shortage nationally or in regional areas.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered nurses, midwives, general practitioners, allied health professionals, and health administrators and managers, plus assistants in nursing and aged-care and disability support workers.
- Who hires
- Health care and social assistance employed 3,836 Great Southern residents in August 2021, the second-largest industry.2
- Demand
- Medical practitioners and nurses averaged 40 online job ads a month to September 2026 in the Albany and Wheatbelt area, and carers and aides 39.7 The employment plan names allied health among the region's shortages.9
- Shortage
- Aged care registered nurses, midwives, general practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally, and enrolled nurses in regional areas.10
- Local training
- Albany is one of the country towns where the Rural Clinical School of WA places medical students.11
- What to put in your brief
- The registration, the setting and town, the shift pattern, housing or relocation support, and who the person reports to.
Agriculture, food processing and farm services
Farm and station managers, agronomists, machinery operators, shearing and livestock supervisors, and production and quality staff for processors and agribusinesses.
- Who hires
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing employed 4,109 residents in August 2021, the largest industry, and manufacturing 1,611.2
- Demand
- Mobile plant operators averaged 31 online job ads a month to September 2026 in the Albany and Wheatbelt area.7
- Local pressure
- The employment plan reports difficulty attracting people to farm work, fewer families farming across generations, and the shearing industry's adjustment ahead of the end of live sheep exports by sea from 1 May 2028.8,9
- Shortage
- Beef cattle, sheep, and mixed cattle and sheep farmers are not rated in shortage nationally.10
- What to put in your brief
- The enterprise, the duties of the permanent role, including peak periods, the machinery and licences, and accommodation on farm or in town.
Trades, construction and transport
General fitters, diesel mechanics, electricians, builders and site supervisors, and truck drivers and logistics staff for workshops, builders, councils, the port and transport firms.
- Who hires
- Construction employed 2,225 residents in August 2021.2 The region's strengths include road, rail and port access.12
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades were the most advertised group in the Albany and Wheatbelt area, averaging 59 online job ads a month to September 2026.7
- Shortage
- General fitters, diesel motor mechanics, general electricians, metal fabricators and general truck drivers are rated in shortage nationally, and construction project managers in regional areas.10
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licences, the work and hours, any vehicle, and the award or agreement rate.
Office, retail, education and community services
Administration and office managers, retail and hospitality managers, teachers, childcare workers, and social and welfare professionals for councils, schools, shops and community organisations.
- Who hires
- Retail employed 2,649 residents and education and training 2,549 in August 2021.2
- Demand
- General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists averaged 49 online job ads a month to September 2026, and legal, social and welfare professionals 34.7
- Shortage
- Early childhood teachers, secondary school teachers and childcare workers are rated in shortage nationally; primary school teachers and social workers are not.10
- What to put in your brief
- The systems or qualification, the hours, who the person reports to and whether you would consider someone relocating.
Hiring graduates in Albany
UWA students can complete part of their degree at the Albany campus, and medical students do placements in the town through the Rural Clinical School of WA.11 South Regional TAFE has campuses in Albany, Denmark, Katanning and Mount Barker.13 The employment plan notes young people leaving the region,9 so we look for graduates with a Great Southern connection as well as those ready for a move to the south coast.
How we help you hire in Albany and the Great Southern
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Distance, housing and relocation
Albany is 409 km from Perth, Mount Barker 359 km, Denmark 414 km and Katanning 295 km.5 For anyone moving to the region we talk through housing, childcare and the start date before they accept, because the employment plan names housing and rental shortages as barriers to recruiting and limited childcare as a barrier to working.9 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Albany or the Great Southern?
Health workers, tradespeople, farm and agribusiness staff, office professionals and graduates can all register with Hire Australia. Tell us which towns interest you and the work you want. We'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Great Southern hire
Tell us about the role, the town, the hours or season, housing 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 hire staff in Albany?
Often, for skilled roles. In the Great Southern-Wheatbelt survey for the year to August 2026, 53% of employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty recruiting.1 A lack of suitable applicants and experience were the main reasons. Hire Australia searches the Great Southern, Perth and interstate, and talks through housing with anyone moving.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Albany?
No. Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist based in Brisbane, and we recruit for employers across regional Australia, including Albany, Mount Barker, Denmark and Katanning. We look for people already in the Great Southern and for people elsewhere who are ready to move. Call 1300 719 836 or send us the role details to start.
Can Hire Australia recruit farm managers and agribusiness staff?
Yes. Hire Australia recruits farm and station managers, agronomists, machinery operators and processing supervisors for permanent roles. Tell us the enterprise, the season, the machinery and any accommodation on offer. For short seasonal crews, a labour-hire provider may suit you better, and we will say so.
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 charges the same way for a role in Albany, Katanning or Denmark as anywhere else in regional Australia.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles in Albany and the Great Southern. 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 work in the Great Southern?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us the work you want and the towns that interest you, from Albany and Denmark to Katanning and Kojonup. Health workers, tradespeople, farm and agribusiness staff, office professionals and graduates are all welcome. We'll talk with you about suitable roles.
Sources (13)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State and Regional Snapshot update, Western Australia. Released 22 September 2026. Data: 12 months to August 2026; WA weighted (1,412 employers); regional samples small, unweighted, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile, Table G54 Industry of employment by age by sex, Local Government Areas. Data: Census night, 10 August 2021; employed residents by place of usual residence, summed over each region. 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 ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: Year to 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- WA Country Health Service, WA Country Health Service: Great Southern regional profile (distance from Perth table). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Government of Western Australia, Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, 2025 spatial and regional data file: mining employment by region and local government area. Files dated June 2026. Data: 2024-25 financial year average; full-time equivalent at mine sites, by site location. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- 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 ↑
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Phasing out live sheep exports by sea. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan: Great Southern Wheatbelt Employment Region, WA (February 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 ↑
- The University of Western Australia, UWA Albany. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Infrastructure WA, State Infrastructure Strategy: WA’s regions, Great Southern region. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- South Regional TAFE, South Regional TAFE: Campuses. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑