Bendigo employment data shows health care gains as manufacturing and retail contract

The Health Care and Social Assistance sector employed 18,200 people in the Bendigo Employment Region as of August 2024, equal to 19.7 per cent of total jobs, according to the Labour Market Dashboard Bendigo from jobsandskills.gov.au. That figure marked a 20.1 per cent rise over the prior year.

These numbers matter now because the same period recorded a 6.5 per cent drop in Manufacturing employment and a 19.7 per cent decline in Retail Trade, leaving the top five industries-Health Care, Manufacturing, Retail Trade, Construction and Education-responsible for 60 per cent of the region’s 78,400 positions. Businesses that rely on steady local labour pools must adjust hiring and training plans to the clearest growth area.

Regional employment patterns

The Bendigo Employment Region covers multiple local government areas where unemployment already showed variation. The rate stood at 4.5 per cent in January 2022, yet Macedon Ranges recorded 2.9 per cent while Loddon Shire reached 5.6 per cent, per Victorian government labour market reports. Such differences affect where workers are available and how quickly sectors can expand.

Health Care and Social Assistance now leads projected demand. The Bendigo Local Jobs Plan forecasts 3,413 new health care roles out of 11,655 total positions expected across Bendigo, Echuca and surrounds between 2024 and 2027. The same plan identifies retirements plus growth in aged care as the main drivers.

Implications for local employers

Employers in Manufacturing and Retail Trade face continued contraction based on the August 2024 data. Health care providers, by contrast, must scale recruitment and skills pipelines to meet the 3,413 new positions projected through 2027. Firms can review the Industry Profile Bendigo and the Local Jobs Plan documents for occupation-level detail on where demand will concentrate.

Companies seeking to stay competitive should map current roles against the documented growth in Health Care and Social Assistance and the documented losses elsewhere. Workforce planning that targets the 11,655 new roles expected by 2027 offers the clearest path to matching available labour supply with emerging requirements.