Recent data is showing employers are finding it harder to fill vacant roles. The latest Occupation Shortage Report for the March quarter 2026 found the national vacancy fill rate fell to 68.2%, down from 69.1% in the December quarter 2025 and 3.3 percentage points lower than a year earlier.
The decline was reflected across both metropolitan and regional areas, although regional Australia continued to lag behind cities. The gap between metropolitan and regional fill rates widened to 4.6 percentage points in the March quarter, reversing the recent trend of a narrowing divide.
Vacancy fill rates also declined across all skill level occupation groups over the quarter, but Skill Level 3 occupations remained the most difficult to fill. The fill rate for these roles stood at 55.5%, well below the roughly 70% recorded across other skill groups.
The results suggest employers face workforce shortage pressures despite softer labour market conditions nationally.
Read more in the full report.
