The trades that have been in demand five years running

65 Australian trades have been in national shortage every single year from 2021 to 2025, across five editions of the government's Occupation Shortage List — through a pandemic recovery, a hiring boom and a cooling market. Of those, 52 were also short in every state and territory on the latest (2025) list. If you want the sturdiest demand signal the data offers, this is it.

Why a streak beats a snapshot

Any single year's shortage rating can reflect a moment — a construction spike, a border reopening. A five-year unbroken streak, spanning very different economic conditions, points at something structural: not enough people entering the trade, or not enough staying. (JSA's own driver analysis nationally points at long training pipelines and retention as common causes; the streak analysis here is ours, computed from JSA's five published lists.)

Consider the contrast: overall, national shortages went 170 → 289 → 332 → 303 → 273 occupations from 2021 to 2025. The market breathed in and out. These 65 trades never left the list.

The numbers

From our analysis of the 2021–2025 Occupation Shortage Lists (latest edition released October 2025):

• 123 occupations of all kinds were in national shortage all five years
• 65 of them are trades — by far the biggest block (47 are professionals, mostly health and engineering)
• 57 trades managed the streak and are short in all eight states and territories on the 2025 list
• One caveat we'll make for you before a sceptic does: the 2021 list rated 822 occupations versus 916 now, so a small number of newer entries never had the chance at a five-year streak

The five-year list, by family of work

Construction: Carpenter, Carpenter and Joiner, Joiner, Bricklayer, Stonemason, Plasterer (Wall and Ceiling), Renderer (Solid Plaster), Painter, Glazier, Roof Tiler, Wall and Floor Tiler, Floor Finisher.

Electrical and climate: Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class), Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic, Electrical Linesworker, Technical Cable Jointer, plus the telecommunications trades (cablers, linesworkers, technicians).

Plumbing: Plumber (General), Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber, Drainer, Gasfitter, Roof Plumber, Fire Protection Plumber.

Automotive: Motor Mechanic (General), Diesel Motor Mechanic, Motorcycle Mechanic, Small Engine Mechanic, Automotive Electrician, Panelbeater, Vehicle Painter.

Metal and aerospace: Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, Fitter-Welder, Metal Machinist, Metal Fabricator, Sheetmetal Worker, Welder (First Class), Pressure Welder, Metal Casting Trades Worker, Locksmith, and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (avionics, mechanical, structures).

Food: Baker, Pastrycook, Butcher or Smallgoods Maker, Chef, Cook.

Everything a town needs: Hairdresser, Cabinet Maker, Furniture Maker, Wood Machinist, Upholsterer, Arborist, Tree Worker, Landscape Gardener, Farrier, plus the technician trades (civil engineering draftspersons and technicians, agricultural technicians, meat inspectors).

Every one of these has its own page with the year-by-year trend and state-by-state grid — start at /occupations.

Our read

This list is as close as labour data gets to a durable bet. Five years isn't forever, and we won't pretend it predicts 2035 — but a teenager starting a four-year apprenticeship in one of these trades is training into a gap that has outlasted every recent economic mood swing. And the breadth matters: this isn't one hot industry, it's the entire practical backbone — building, power, water, transport, food, aircraft. Gaps that broad don't close quickly. That's our interpretation; the ratings are JSA's.

What this doesn't tell you

A national streak can hide local softness — always check your own state's rating (52 of the 65 clear that bar everywhere, but 13 don't). The streak also says nothing about pay, conditions or how it feels to do the work at 45. And past persistence is evidence, not prophecy: five years of shortage makes a sixth more plausible, not certain.

FAQ

Which trade has been in shortage the longest in Australia?

The public OSL series we analyse starts in 2021, so the longest measurable streak is five years — and 65 trades share it, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, motor mechanics, welders, chefs and hairdressers. The government's earlier skills-shortage research predates the OSL, but it isn't directly comparable, so we don't stack them.

Does a five-year shortage mean my kid is guaranteed a job?

No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. It means employers have found these trades persistently hard to fill — the strongest demand signal in this data. An individual's outcome still depends on finishing the ticket, the local market and the person.

Why are these trades still short after five years?

The list itself doesn't say. JSA's national driver research points to long training pipelines (a trade takes years to qualify into) and retention. Logically, a gap that takes four years to train into is a gap that closes slowly — that inference is ours.

Where can I see the five-year trend for a specific trade?

Every occupation page on Workworthy shows the 2021–2025 rating strip, the state-by-state grid, and the training level. Search any trade at /occupations.