Skills Priority List
The 2022 Skills Priority List is now available as a digital interface as well as a downloadable report.
Findings from the 2022 list show that 31% of occupations assessed are in shortage (286 out of 914). The remaining 628 occupations are rated as ‘NS’ (no shortage) at a national level, although some of these occupations are in shortage in some states and territories. The ongoing effects of COVID-19, along with the changing economic landscape have created challenges in many occupations, including those related to health and teaching, and there are ongoing persistent shortages of technician and trade occupations. Specifically, shortages are most acute in Professional occupations (Skill Level 1), requiring higher level qualifications and experience, and Skill Level 3 occupations among Technicians and Trades Workers.
Explore the Skills Priority List
| SHORTAGE RATING | FUTURE DEMAND | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANZSCO Code | Occupation | National | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | NT | ACT | National |
Downloads
FAQs
Taking account of all available information, a labour market rating is determined for each occupation.
Ratings are provided nationally, and for each state and territory, where sufficient evidence is available. Where there is evidence suggesting variation between metropolitan and regional locations this is reflected in the rating. The term metropolitan area refers to state and territory capital cities and regional refers to the rest of the state or territory.
An occupation may be assessed as being in shortage even though not all specialisations are in shortage. Similarly, a rating of national shortage does not mean that employers in every geographical location have difficulty recruiting. While an occupation can be considered in shortage, it is still possible that job seekers can face significant competition for positions (due to the level of experience or specialisations required). Similarly, employers can still have difficulty recruiting for occupations that are not in shortage.
The SPL provides the following ratings of the current labour market for occupations where sufficient data are available to make an assessment.
Shortages exist when employers are unable to fill or have considerable difficulty filling vacancies for an occupation, or significant specialised skill needs within that occupation, at current levels of remuneration and conditions of employment, and in reasonably accessible locations.
In some instances, shortages may be apparent in particular specialisations within the occupation, but otherwise shortages are not apparent. In these instances, provided there is sufficient evidence, that occupation will still be considered in shortage.
Shortages, (as defined above) are restricted to metropolitan areas.
Shortages (as defined above) are restricted to regional areas.
Research has not identified any significant difficulty filling vacancies.
For some occupations, a lack of evidence overall will, by default, result in an occupation being rated as ‘No Shortage’.
The SPL will help policy makers understand the skills needs of the Australian economy and may be used to inform a range of labour market advice the NSC provides. The SPL will be publicly available for all and stakeholders to use.
The SPL stakeholder survey is targeted towards peak bodies, industry groups, professional organisations, unions and regional representative bodies. We are seeking to gauge the issues and concerns employer members may be facing through their respective representative body. If you or other representative bodies would like to be included in this process, please let us know by emailing SkillsPriorityList@skillscommission.gov.au.
The first SPL was released in June 2021 and provided labour market ratings and future demand ratings for 799 occupations on the ANZSCO 2013, Version 1.3. The 2022 SPL is the second iteration of the list and is aligned to the new ANZSCO 2021 classification. Therefore, some occupations on the 2022 SPL will not appear on the 2021 SPL. The 2022 SPL also includes ratings for occupations defined under ANZSCO as ‘not elsewhere classified’ (nec). These occupations were not rated in 2021.
In addition to the survey, we are happy to engage with stakeholders on an ongoing basis. Please email us at SkillsPriorityList@skillscommission.gov.au to request a meeting. We acknowledge that restrictions around social distancing may still impact on our ability to safely engage with you in person, so we will engage with you in the most effective way possible via in-person meetings, online platforms or teleconference.
You are in the best position to help us understand the skills needs of the industry, occupation or region you represent. We are primarily looking for information on where employers are having difficulty filling positions and the likely future demand for occupations. However, if there is something important that we need to know about an occupation when we undertake the consultation process, please tell us. We are particularly interested in finding new sources of reliable labour market data. The NSC complies with all relevant provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act. The NSC sits with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The department’s privacy page can be found at: https://www.dewr.gov.au/using-site/privacy and includes key information regarding how we handle your personal information. If you have any questions about the confidentiality of your information and data collected in this process, please email at Privacy@skillscommission.gov.au or call +61 2 2649 0393.
While we are consulting nationally, we are ensuring that we engage with regional representative bodies.
Feedback
If you would like to know more about the process, or have any questions about the SPL, you can email us directly at SkillsPriorityList@skillscommission.gov.au.