Skills shortages pose ongoing hurdles for Ballarat employers this year

Forty-eight per cent of Ballarat employers were recruiting in the month to February 2025, yet 59 per cent of those reported trouble securing applicants because of skills gaps and working conditions.

Why the shortage persists

The Ballarat Employment Region recorded around 88,800 jobs in August 2025, with Health Care and Social Assistance, Education and Training, and Construction the largest sectors. Projections show the region will require 9,586 additional workers between 2024 and 2027 and 35,705 by 2034 to support growth in renewable energy, healthcare and infrastructure. These figures come at a time when the unemployment rate reached 3.7 per cent in December, the lowest December reading in more than 15 years.

Tourism, listed under accommodation and food services, added more than 3,000 positions over the past five years while agriculture lost more than 10,000 roles, illustrating the scale of workforce shifts employers must navigate.

Recruitment pressure points

The combination of strong overall employment and rapid structural change has left many positions unfilled. Data from the month to February 2025 indicate that even when firms advertise, suitable candidates remain scarce. Local technology vacancies, estimated between 75 and 78 on major platforms, sit alongside broader hiring needs at organisations such as Accenture, which plans to open a technology and operations centre in May 2025.

Employers in the region continue to cite skills mismatches and workplace conditions as primary barriers. With demand expected to climb steadily through the decade, the same recruitment shortfalls recorded earlier this year are likely to shape hiring strategies for the remainder of 2026.

Businesses seeking to expand may need to review training pathways and role design to compete for the limited pool of qualified applicants now available in Ballarat.