Bendigo Employment Indicators Show Sector Growth and Workforce Needs

The Bendigo Employment Region recorded a net increase of 615 jobs between February 2025 and February 2026, bringing the total in the largest employing industries to approximately 7,750, according to the Labour Market Dashboard published by Jobs and Skills Australia.

This figure arrives at a time when regional employers face simultaneous retirements and expansion plans in tourism, hospitality, and aged care services. The timing matters for local planning because the same period coincides with forecasts that point to 11,655 new workers needed across Bendigo, Echuca and surrounding areas by 2027.

Health care leads current employment

Health Care and Social Assistance remains the dominant sector, representing 19.7 per cent of total employment or roughly 18,200 workers as measured in August 2024. That share grew 20.1 per cent over the preceding twelve months, outpacing most other industries in the region. The concentration of roles in this field channels investment interest toward facilities and training programs that support aged and disability care, which together are projected to require 3,413 additional workers by 2027.

Manufacturing employs about 7,100 people, mostly full-time males, and continues to report shortages in engineering trades, particularly welders and fabricators. These gaps sit alongside the broader pipeline of 1,855 new construction positions expected over the same three-year window.

Reading the indicators for local decisions

Public labour-market reports released by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations list aged and disabled carers as requiring 664 additional staff by 2027. Such targeted shortfalls give residents and training providers a clear signal on where enrolments and hiring activity are likely to concentrate. The data do not forecast specific capital projects, yet they allow businesses and job seekers to align skills development with documented regional demand.

Monitoring updates from the Jobs and Skills Australia dashboard and the Victorian government projections remains the most direct way to track whether the 615-job gain recorded through February 2026 continues into the next reporting cycle.