Bunbury and South West recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Bunbury, Busselton, Collie, Margaret River, Manjimup and across the South West of Western Australia hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Bunbury and the South West at a glance
- of recruiting South West employers had difficulty recruiting
- 42%
- Survey year to August 2026, against 55% across regional WA. Recruiting means recruiting or recruited in the past month (44% of South West employers).1
- of employed residents work in health care and social assistance, the largest industry
- 12.6%
- 10,812 of 85,694 employed residents, August 2021.2
- of employed South West residents worked in mining in August 2021
- 7.9%
- 6,747 of 85,694 employed residents.2 Separately, South West mine sites supported 7,058 full-time-equivalent jobs in 2024–25, 2,782 of them in Collie.3
- unemployment in the City of Bunbury
- 5.0%
- June quarter 2026, against 2.3% in Busselton and 2.6% in Harvey.4
Who employs people in Bunbury and the South West?
The South West's 12 council areas are home to 206,297 people, the largest regional population in WA, led by Busselton (46,184), Bunbury (35,730), Harvey (32,208), Capel (20,171) and Augusta Margaret River (20,170).5,6
Health care employs the most residents, followed by construction, retail, education, manufacturing and hospitality.2 Mining and mineral processing add a heavy-industry base few regional economies have: 7,058 full-time-equivalent mining jobs were at sites in the region in 2024–25, up from 6,390 a year earlier, including 990 in the Harvey shire and 742 in Bridgetown-Greenbushes.3
Share of employed residents by industry, South West region (12 council areas), August 2021.2
| Industry | % of employed residents |
|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 12.6% |
| Construction | 10.1% |
| Retail trade | 9.5% |
| Education and training | 8.3% |
| Manufacturing | 8.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 8.1% |
| Mining | 7.9% |
Which jobs are most advertised in Bunbury and the South West?
Employers in the Bunbury statistical region placed about 1,284 online job ads a month in the three months to September 2026, up from 1,247 a year earlier.7 Retail and trade roles lead, with health, care and office roles close behind.
Online job advertisements by occupation group, Bunbury SA4 (Bunbury, Busselton and Margaret River, Manjimup), three-month average to September 2026.7
| Occupation group | Job ads a month |
|---|---|
| Sales assistants and salespersons | 112 |
| Automotive and engineering trades | 90 |
| General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists | 79 |
| Medical practitioners and nurses | 64 |
| Carers and aides | 60 |
| Hospitality, retail and service managers | 56 |
| Legal, social and welfare professionals | 52 |
| Drivers and storepersons | 48 |
How hard is it to hire in Bunbury and the South West?
Easier than in most of regional WA, but still hard for skilled roles. Of the South West employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month (survey year to August 2026), 42% had difficulty recruiting, against 55% across regional WA. The reasons they gave most often were applicants lacking technical skills, a lack of suitable applicants, working conditions or hours, and applicants lacking experience.1
The region's own employment plan names the pressures behind those answers: trained workers leaving for fly-in fly-out work in the Pilbara and Goldfields or for Perth, a lack of housing that makes it hard to bring in skilled staff, and much of the work in horticulture, agriculture, hospitality and care being short-term.8 We screen for the technical skills and experience your role needs, and we talk through housing and the roster with anyone who would be moving.
Which roles do we recruit in Bunbury and the South West?
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.
Mining, processing and energy trades
Qualified fitters, diesel mechanics, electricians, fabricators and plant operators for mine sites, refineries, power and processing plants, and the workshops that service them.
- Who hires
- 7,058 full-time-equivalent mining jobs were at South West sites in 2024–25, including 2,782 in the Collie shire, 990 in Harvey and 742 in Bridgetown-Greenbushes.3
- Demand
- Automotive and engineering trades averaged 90 online job ads a month to September 2026, the most advertised trade group in the region.7
- Shortage
- General fitters, diesel motor mechanics, general electricians, metal fabricators and earthmoving plant operators are all rated in shortage nationally.9
- Local pressure
- Mining employers in the Pilbara and Goldfields recruit South West tradespeople for fly-in fly-out rosters.8
- What to put in your brief
- The trade and licences, the site and its inductions, the roster or day shifts, the award or agreement rate and whether you would consider someone relocating.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered nurses, allied health professionals, and health administrators and managers, plus assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers.
- Who hires
- Health care and social assistance employs 10,812 South West residents, the region's largest industry (August 2021).2
- Demand
- Medical practitioners and nurses averaged 64 online job ads a month to September 2026, and carers and aides 60.7
- Shortage
- Aged care registered nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally, and enrolled nurses in regional areas.9
- Local training
- ECU South West in Bunbury sits in an education and health precinct with South Regional TAFE and the Bunbury Health Campus.10
- What to put in your brief
- The registration or qualification, the setting (hospital, aged care, disability or community), the shift pattern and who the person reports to.
Construction, engineering and technical staff
Graduate and experienced civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, project and site managers, and technical officers.
- Who hires
- Construction is the region's second-largest industry, employing 8,695 residents, and manufacturing employs 7,059 (August 2021).2
- Shortage
- Civil, mechanical, electrical and mining engineers are rated in shortage nationally, and construction project managers in regional areas.9
- Population growth
- The region grew by 1.9% in the year to 30 June 2025.5
- What to put in your brief
- The discipline and experience level, the project or plant, any registration the role needs, office or site base and, for a graduate, who will supervise their work.
Business, office and hospitality management
Accountants, administration officers, office managers, and hospitality and retail managers, from graduates to experienced staff.
- Demand
- General-inquiry clerks, call-centre workers and receptionists averaged 79 online job ads a month to September 2026, and hospitality, retail and service managers 56.7
- Who hires
- Retail employs 9.5% of employed residents and accommodation and food services 8.1% (August 2021).2
- Shortage
- Chefs and cooks are rated in shortage nationally.9
- What to put in your brief
- The systems you use, the experience level, the duties of the permanent role, including peak periods, and who the person reports to.
Graduates in Bunbury and the South West
Bunbury is the region's university town. Edith Cowan University's South West campus sits on Robertson Drive in an education precinct with South Regional TAFE and the Bunbury Health Campus,10 and South Regional TAFE also teaches in Busselton, Collie, Harvey, Manjimup and Margaret River.11 Tell us who will supervise a graduate and how their first months will run, and we look for graduates who want to build a career in the South West.
How we help you hire in Bunbury and the South West
The steps are the same for a Bunbury office, a Busselton clinic or a processing plant near Collie. You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly.
Distance, rosters and relocation in the South West
Most South West towns are within a few hours of Perth: Harvey is 136 km from the city, Bunbury 172 km, Collie 205 km, Busselton 221 km and Manjimup 295 km.12 The region also loses some trained workers to fly-in fly-out work in the Pilbara and Goldfields.8
Housing is the barrier the region's employment plan names when skilled staff are moving in.8 If your preferred candidate is relocating, we raise housing, moving costs and any support you offer early in the process. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Bunbury or the South West?
Tradespeople, nurses and allied health professionals, engineers, office professionals and graduates can all register with Hire Australia, including people moving to the South West or coming home from FIFO work. Tell us the towns that suit you and the work you want. We'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next South West hire
Tell us about the role, the town or site, the hours or roster 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 Bunbury and the South West?
It is easier than in most of regional WA, but skilled roles still take work. In the survey year to August 2026, 42% of South West employers who were recruiting or had recruited in the past month had difficulty, against 55% across regional WA, most often because applicants lacked technical skills or there were too few suitable people.1 Hire Australia screens for the skills your role needs and searches beyond the region when it helps.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Bunbury?
No. Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist based in Brisbane, and we recruit for employers across regional Australia, including Bunbury, Busselton, Collie, Margaret River and Manjimup. We look for people already living in the South West and for people ready to move there. Call 1300 719 836 or send us the role details to start.
Can Hire Australia find tradespeople who would otherwise go FIFO?
Hire Australia recruits for South West employers competing with fly-in fly-out mining work, which the region's employment plan says draws trained workers to the Pilbara and Goldfields.8 We look for tradespeople who want to work closer to home, talk through your roster, pay and conditions with them during screening, and introduce the people who fit. We also recruit for FIFO and DIDO roles.
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 Bunbury, Busselton or Collie 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 Bunbury and the South West. 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'm moving to the South West?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us the towns you're considering, from Bunbury and Busselton to Collie and Manjimup, the work you want and when you could start. We'll talk with you about suitable roles in the South West, and about housing and commuting questions to ask an employer before you accept.
Sources (12)
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- 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: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Infrastructure WA, State Infrastructure Strategy: WA’s regions, South West region. 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 Employment and Workplace Relations, Local Jobs Plan: South West Employment Region, Western Australia (July 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 ↑
- Edith Cowan University, ECU South West Campus (Bunbury). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- South Regional TAFE, South Regional TAFE: Campuses. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- WA Country Health Service, WA Country Health Service: South West regional profile (distance from Perth table). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑