National Occupation Shortage List October 2025 — health, education, construction lead
The Jobs and Skills Australia NOSL update for October 2025 identifies shortages in approximately 29% of assessed occupations, with persistent gaps in health, education, construction, and regional trades.
Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released the October 2025 update to the National Occupation Shortage List (NOSL), with assessed occupations showing 29% in national shortage — broadly stable against the April 2025 baseline but with significant compositional shifts.
Persistent shortage categories
- Health: registered nurses (multiple specialisations), enrolled nurses, GPs, psychologists, midwives
- Education: early childhood teachers, secondary maths and science teachers
- Construction: carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, electricians, plumbers
- Regional trades: motor mechanics, refrigeration mechanics, fitters
Why NOSL matters for PR
NOSL is not itself a visa list — but it directly informs:
- CSOL composition (occupations in shortage are typically retained on CSOL)
- State nomination program priorities (NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, TAS, NT, ACT all weight NOSL findings)
- Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) negotiations between regional authorities and the Commonwealth
What changed since April 2025
Notable additions to the shortage list: cyber security specialists, ICT business analysts working on regulated industries (banking, energy), and aged-care nurse practitioners. Notable easings: junior software developers in metropolitan areas, marketing and communications professionals.
The full report including methodology is on the JSA website.