Jobs Predicted to Grow in Australia by 2050
If you’ve just come from our last article on jobs predicted to decline, take a breath. This is the hopeful part.
It’s time to look at where Australia’s workforce is expanding
Despite fears about automation and artificial intelligence, Australia is not heading toward a jobless future. In fact, national workforce modelling shows the opposite. Employment is expected to grow, with many occupations expanding significantly as the economy evolves.
Research from Jobs and Skills Australia, supported by long-term data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), shows that technological change is creating new demand for human work rather than removing it. The fastest-growing jobs are those that rely on care, coordination, leadership, service and skilled physical labour
This is a story of opportunity, not loss.
What Is Driving Job Growth in Australia
Australia’s job growth is being shaped by three powerful forces.
First, population growth and demographic change are increasing demand for health, care, housing and essential services. Second, large-scale infrastructure and energy projects are expanding employment in construction, logistics and regional industries. Third, technology is increasing productivity while creating new roles that require human oversight, judgement and responsibility.
Rather than replacing workers, technology is shifting where labour is needed most.
Occupations Expected to Grow Strongly by 2050
Nurses and Midwives
Healthcare remains the strongest long-term growth area in Australia’s workforce. An ageing population, expanded healthcare access and rising demand for personalised care are driving sustained growth in nursing and midwifery roles. Government projections show these occupations will continue to expand well beyond 2050.
Technology supports clinical care, but human connection remains central.
Cleaners and Laundry Workers
While often overlooked, these roles are among the most resilient in the future labour market. Cleaning and laundry services are essential across healthcare, aged care, education, hospitality and residential settings. Jobs and Skills Australia identifies these roles as low-risk for automation and high in ongoing demand.
Construction and Infrastructure Labourers
Australia’s housing needs, transport projects and energy transition are creating long-term employment opportunities in construction and infrastructure. Labouring roles continue to face shortages, particularly in regional areas, making this one of the most secure growth pathways in the workforce.
Hospitality and Service Workers
Accommodation and food services are expanding alongside population growth and tourism recovery. These jobs depend on customer experience, adaptability and interpersonal skills, which technology cannot replace. ABS data shows consistent long-term employment growth in this sector.
Business and Administration Managers
As organisations become more complex, demand is rising for managers who can coordinate people, systems and change. These roles grow alongside technological adoption, ensuring workplaces function effectively in evolving environments.
Industries Powering Australia’s Employment Growth
Government modelling highlights several industries set to drive job creation in the decades ahead:
Healthcare and social assistance, supported by demographic change
Construction, driven by housing and infrastructure investment
Education and training, supporting lifelong learning and reskilling
Accommodation and food services, tied to population and tourism growth
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, with ongoing demand for skilled labour
These sectors share a reliance on human capability that technology enhances rather than replaces.
Why These Jobs Are More Secure Than Many Office Roles
Future-proof jobs tend to share common features. They involve real-world environments, responsibility for people or outcomes, and situations that change daily. Jobs and Skills Australia’s AI exposure analysis shows these roles have low automation risk and high long-term demand.
In other words, the more human a job is, the more valuable it becomes.
What This Means for Australians Planning Their Careers
Australia’s future workforce will reward adaptability, not perfection. Job growth will favour people who are willing to learn, move between roles and develop transferable skills such as communication, leadership and problem-solving.
For students, career changers and workers planning their next step, the message is reassuring. There will be work, and much of it will be meaningful, people-centred and in demand.
Australia’s employment future is not shrinking. It is expanding in new directions.
References
Jobs and Skills Australia. Our Gen AI Transition: Impacts on Australia’s Workforce. Australian Government, 2024.
https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au
Jobs and Skills Australia. Employment Projections and Occupational Growth Analysis. Australian Government, 2024.
https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Labour Force, Australia and Employment Projections. ABS, 2023.
https://www.abs.gov.au
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Population Projections, Australia. ABS, 2023.
https://www.abs.gov.au
