Beyond the Political Noise: Australia Still Cannot Find Enough Workers, and What That Means for Your Plans

News · 2026-09-11 · 5 min read

Canberra's political class keeps arguing about “net overseas migration” numbers. Meanwhile, a quieter but more important story is happening on building sites, farms, aged care homes and hospitality venues around Australia. Employers simply cannot find enough people to do the work.

This gap between what politicians say and what the economy needs is very important if you are thinking about moving to Australia, sponsoring a worker, or advising others on skilled migration pathways. Below, we explain what is really going on, and why the news for migrants is not as bad as the headlines make it sound. If you are looking at jobs in Australia for Indonesians, this is useful background.

Not Too Many People, but Too Few Homes

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas has spoken very directly about the confusion in today's debate. In his view, Australia's real problem is not too many migrants. It is too few homes, and too few tradespeople to build them. Electricians, carpenters and other construction trades are badly needed in almost every state. So every skilled migrant who does not come to fill these jobs means one more delay for the homes the country needs.

For migration agents and people who plan to apply, this is a helpful new way to look at things. Trades and jobs linked to construction are likely to stay high on the priority list for state and employer sponsorship, even while some other visa categories become tighter.

The Visa Types Feeling the Squeeze First

Visa streams are not all being handled the same way. The federal government has already started to slow down the processing of working holiday maker visas. Employers in farming, hospitality and tourism depend heavily on this category for seasonal and entry-level workers. Industry groups, including the National Farmers Federation, have strongly objected. They say the decisions were made with very little consultation and without thinking about how important these workers are for food production and regional economies.

The lesson for migrants is this: wide, blanket caps are popular in politics, but they are a rough tool for the economy. You should expect extra difficulty in particular visa subclasses, especially working holiday and lower-skilled temporary streams, rather than a full shutdown of all migration pathways.

States Speaking Up for Migrant Workers

This time, the criticism is not only coming from farmers and chambers of commerce. Labor's own state premiers are openly disagreeing with their federal colleagues. Victoria's Ben Carroll has said migration is essential to the state's prosperity. He pointed especially to healthcare, labour and farm workers. He also warned about the risk to international education, which is Victoria's largest services export. Western Australia's Roger Cook has made similar points.

Why is this important? State governments run their own skilled and employer-sponsored visa nomination programs. When premiers talk this loudly about needing migrant workers, it is fair to expect that state nomination streams will keep pushing for higher allocations, not lower ones, even if federal settings become stricter in other areas.

One Big Number Does Not Tell the Whole Story

In 2025, net overseas migration was close to 301,000. That is above the usual level of roughly 210,000 a year before the pandemic, and this figure is behind opposition calls for caps as low as 170,000. However, business groups, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, say that focusing on one headline number misses the composition. In their view, what really shapes the economic impact is the mix of students, temporary workers, skilled migrants and family visas inside that total, not the total itself.

For anyone dealing with this system, the practical message is simple. Policy is much more likely to change through eligibility rules, processing speed and caps on certain categories than through one sudden cut to everything.

Planning Your Next Move

Trades and construction-related jobs: still a strong choice, because the housing-driven shortage is widely recognised.
Working holiday and seasonal jobs: the most likely to face processing delays in the near future. Apply early and be ready to wait longer.
State-nominated skilled visas: these may hold up better than federal general skilled migration streams, because premiers are actively defending their labour needs.
Healthcare and aged care: state leaders keep naming these as sectors that cannot afford more labour shortages.

Whichever path you choose, prepare a clear English-language CV, and if your visa or employer needs an English test such as IELTS or PTE, book it early.

The Bigger Picture for Job Seekers

Politicians in Canberra will keep making headlines about “mass migration”. But the economic story underneath is different. There are long-term trade shortages, a housing crisis that needs migrants to help fix it, and states actively asking for more workers. Together, this paints a more balanced picture, and for many people hoping to work in Australia from Indonesia and elsewhere, a more encouraging one.

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