Trades shortage Australia 2025: 71 of 139 persistent gaps are trades, so how do you stand out?

The 2025 Occupation Shortage List says almost 1 in 2 Technicians and Trades Workers occupations were in shortage, and 71 of the 139 occupations that stayed in shortage every year from 2021 to 2025 were trades. For a candidate that is a good sign, but it is a statement about employers struggling to fill roles, not a promise that your application will be picked. Here is how a recruiter reads the numbers, and what to put in front of an employer so your trade stands out.

What the 2025 shortage numbers say about trades

Jobs and Skills Australia publishes the Occupation Shortage List every year. It rates each occupation nationally and by state as No Shortage, Regional Shortage, Metropolitan Shortage or Shortage. A shortage means employers cannot fill vacancies, or have considerable difficulty filling them, at current pay and conditions in reasonably accessible locations.

The headline across all jobs was easing: 29% of occupations (293 of the 1022 assessed) were in national shortage in the 2025 list, down from 33% in 2024 and 36% in 2023. Trades went the other way. The 2025 Key Findings Report calls the challenge particularly acute for Technicians and Trades Workers, with almost 1 in 2 of those occupations in shortage.

Why a long-running gap matters more than one good year

A shortage that appears for a single year can be an accident of timing. One that appears every year for five years points to something structural. The 71 trades in that persistent group are concentrated in construction, engineering and automotive work, which fits the projection that construction will be the second largest employing industry in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia by 2035, and the third largest in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

The projections also show where the volume is. Technicians and Trades Workers are the second largest occupation group in the country and are projected to grow by 195,800 people (9.8%) in the decade to May 2035. For the wider picture across all industries, see our recruiter's read on industries hiring in Australia to 2035.

What the list does not tell you

Jobs and Skills Australia is direct about the limits. Candidates may find more vacancies in occupations in shortage, but that does not necessarily make a job easier to secure, because some specialisations within an occupation are not in shortage and shortages may be concentrated in certain places. The list is national, with state ratings, so a welder in a metropolitan area and a welder in a regional town can face quite different markets.

We cover the same warning in skills shortage jobs in Australia: in demand is not the same as easy to land, and the list is explained line by line in our guide to how recruiters read the Occupation Shortage List. This post is about the next step: turning a shortage into a stronger application.

How employers hiring trades read an application

When a site manager or workshop owner opens a trade application, the question is practical: can this person do the work safely, and can we prove it? From the recruiter's side of the desk, these are the points that move an application forward.

1. Name the exact trade. A fitter, a welder, a carpenter and a joiner are separate hires. Use the title the employer used in the advert and describe the work you did under it.
2. Show the type of site you worked on. Say whether it was commercial, civil, workshop, mining or maintenance work, and the kind of tasks you did most.
3. Have certificates and licences ready. Employers hiring from overseas check references and certificates before a final decision, so scans that are legible and in date order save days.
4. Offer a practical test. Talynx can arrange video interviews and help employers set practical skills tests where a role needs it, so being willing to demonstrate the skill is an advantage.
5. Be clear about location. If you are open to regional work, say so. Most places outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane count as designated regional areas for migration purposes.

Our construction jobs guide goes deeper on what builders screen for, and designated regional areas explains why saying yes to regional work widens your options.

Matching the numbers to real vacancies

A shortage rating is a national statistic; a vacancy is one employer with one need. Use the first to decide where to look and the second to decide what to apply for. Browse the trade roles on the Talynx jobs page, which is searchable by position, country and region or city. Examples of the kind of listing to read closely include a maintenance technician and fitter role in Bundaberg, a carpenter role in Cairns and a fitter, turner and welder role in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Read each advert for its duties and match your CV line by line: the tools, standards and tasks it names should appear in your own words where they are true. If you are not sure how to lay the CV out, a builder such as Build AI CV can help with structure, and a profile on Talent Tabloid gives employers one place to see your verified work history. Other writers on the trades gap have looked at it from the worker's side too, for example NaijaAbroad's piece on the trades shortage numbers.

Common mistakes when reading the shortage list

• Treating "in shortage" as "a job is waiting". The list measures employer difficulty, and Jobs and Skills Australia says it does not make securing a job easier by itself.
• Ignoring the regional rating. In the 2025 list, 21 occupations were in regional shortage without a matching shortage in capital cities, up from 12 in 2024. Check the rating for the state you are applying in.
• Using one generic CV. The same CV sent for a fitter and a welder role reads as if you did not read either advert.
• Quoting old figures. The list is annual. Check the official page for the latest release before you cite a number to an employer.
• Waiting for the perfect timing. The persistent trades gap suggests hiring is steady, so preparing your evidence now costs nothing.

A five-step check before you apply

1. Find your occupation in the official Occupation Shortage List and note the rating for your state.
2. Pick two or three adverts for that exact trade and list the duties each one names.
3. Rewrite your experience so it answers those duties with specific tasks, sites and tools.
4. Gather certificates, licences and referee details, and check they are readable.
5. Tell the employer you can do a video interview or practical demonstration if asked.

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean when a trade is on the Occupation Shortage List?

It means Jobs and Skills Australia found that employers had difficulty filling vacancies for that occupation at current pay and conditions in reasonably accessible locations. It is a labour market measure, not a visa list and not a promise of work.

Are trades really in shortage in Australia?

The 2025 Key Findings Report says almost 1 in 2 Technicians and Trades Workers occupations were in shortage. Of the 139 occupations in shortage every year from 2021 to 2025, 71 were trades, mainly in construction, engineering and automotive work.

Does a shortage mean it is easy to get a trade job?

Not necessarily. Jobs and Skills Australia notes that some specialisations are not in shortage and that shortages may be concentrated in certain places. A targeted application that matches the advert still matters.

How many more trades workers does Australia expect to need?

Jobs and Skills Australia projects Technicians and Trades Workers to grow by 195,800 people (9.8%) in the decade to May 2035. That is a projection, and it can change with the economy.

What should I prepare if I apply from overseas?

Have your certificates, work references and a CV that matches the advert ready. Employers hiring from overseas check references and certificates, and a video interview or practical test may be part of the process.

Key takeaways

• Almost 1 in 2 trades occupations were in shortage in the 2025 list, while shortages across all occupations fell to 29%.
• 71 of the 139 occupations in shortage every year from 2021 to 2025 were trades, so the gap is long-running.
• Shortage does not make a job automatic: location and specialisation still decide how competitive a role is.
• Match your CV to the advert's duties and keep certificates, references and a practical demonstration ready.