Australia’s Aged Care Workforce Faces A Growing Challenge
Australia’s ageing population is creating a growing demand for care. However, finding enough people to meet that demand is becoming a major workforce challenge. Ageing Australia estimates that the sector will need approximately 110,000 additional care workers by 2030. Meanwhile, research from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) suggests that at least 400,000 additional workers will be needed across residential and in-home aged care by 2050.
These projections highlight the scale of the challenge facing Australia’s aged care providers. The question is no longer just how to fill today’s vacancies. It is how to build a sustainable workforce that can support Australia’s growing care needs.
Demand For Aged Care Workers Is Increasing
Australia’s population is ageing, and more people will require support as they grow older. CEDA estimates that the number of Australians aged 65 and over who need some form of care will increase from approximately 1.5 million today to 2.5 million by 2050. As demand grows, aged care providers will need more personal care workers, nursing support staff and other qualified professionals.
However, increasing the number of available workers will take time. Recruitment, training and workforce development must all keep pace with changing demand. For providers, this makes long-term workforce planning increasingly important.
Overseas Workers Play A Critical Role
Australia’s aged care workforce already relies heavily on workers born overseas. According to Ageing Australia, 51% of Australia’s residential aged care workforce was born overseas. In some regional facilities, that proportion is even higher.
For example, a residential aged care centre in Orange, New South Wales, reported that more than 80% of its staff were born overseas. Of its 179 employees, 104 were from Nepal. These figures demonstrate how important overseas workers have become to some care providers. However, they also highlight a potential vulnerability. Changes to migration settings could make recruitment more challenging for providers that rely on overseas talent.
Could A New Visa Pathway Help?
The aged care workforce shortage has renewed calls for a dedicated migration pathway for care workers. CEDA and Ageing Australia have argued that Australia’s existing arrangements do not bring enough additional workers into the sector. They are calling for a more accessible essential skills visa pathway for eligible aged care occupations.
Australia already has an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. It allows participating providers to sponsor eligible overseas workers in occupations such as personal care assistants, nursing support workers and aged or disabled carers. However, CEDA’s research suggests the current pathway has not significantly expanded the available workforce.
During the 2024–25 financial year, only 10% of temporary visas granted under aged care labour agreements went to applicants outside Australia. The remaining 90% went to people who were already in the country. This suggests the pathway has often helped providers retain existing workers rather than attract new workers from overseas. A dedicated pathway could help address that limitation. However, it remains a proposal rather than an established new visa scheme.
Recruitment Alone Will Not Solve The Shortage
Attracting more workers is only part of the solution. Aged care providers must also retain experienced employees and create working conditions that encourage people to stay in the industry. A survey of more than 3,550 frontline nurses and care workers, released by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation in August 2026, highlighted ongoing concerns about staffing and workplace conditions.
Almost 49% of respondents said they did not have enough time to deliver care. Among workers at for-profit providers, that figure increased to almost 56%. The survey also found that nearly 40% of respondents rated staffing at their workplace as inadequate, poor or very poor.
These findings reflect the experiences of survey participants rather than every aged care employee in Australia. Nevertheless, they highlight concerns that employers cannot ignore. Recruiting additional workers will be difficult if existing employees continue to face unsustainable workloads or poor working conditions.
Better Working Conditions Can Support Retention
Employee retention is an essential part of building a sustainable aged care workforce. When experienced employees leave, providers must recruit replacements, complete onboarding and provide training. These processes take time and can place additional pressure on remaining staff. There is also a wider cost. Experienced workers bring practical knowledge, established relationships and an understanding of residents’ needs.
CEDA has identified remuneration and working conditions as important factors in attracting and retaining care workers. In July 2023, the Fair Work Commission introduced a 15% minimum wage increase for many aged care workers, following its aged care work value decision. Although this was a significant change, workforce pressures remain. For employers, competitive pay must work alongside manageable workloads, effective leadership and opportunities for career development.
Training Can Help Build Australia’s Domestic Workforce
Migration is not the only way to increase the number of available care workers. Investing in domestic training can help more Australians enter the industry and develop the practical skills required to provide quality care. Vocational education, workplace training and career development can create pathways for school leavers, career changers and people looking to enter a growing industry.
Employers can also support existing workers to gain qualifications and progress into more specialised roles. However, training takes time. It also requires sufficient placements, supervision and support to help new workers succeed. For this reason, workforce development needs to be part of a broader strategy rather than a short-term response to vacancies.
Regional Providers Face Additional Recruitment Challenges
Workforce shortages can be particularly difficult for providers in regional communities. These employers may have access to fewer local candidates than facilities in major cities. They may also need to compete with other industries for qualified workers. The experience of the Orange aged care facility illustrates how international recruitment can become essential to maintaining staffing levels in some regional locations.
For these providers, a sustainable recruitment strategy may need to combine local hiring, training, employee retention and appropriate overseas recruitment. The right balance will depend on the location, available skills and needs of each organisation.
Building A Sustainable Aged Care Workforce
Australia’s aged care workforce challenge will require more than one solution. Migration pathways may help providers reach additional workers. Domestic training can create new career opportunities. Better working conditions can encourage experienced employees to stay.
Employers also need to plan ahead by identifying critical roles, building talent pipelines and investing in the development of their people. These measures can help reduce reliance on last-minute recruitment and create a more sustainable approach to workforce planning.
Who Will Care For Australia’s Ageing Population?
The need for aged care workers will continue to grow as Australia’s population ages. With approximately 110,000 additional care workers needed by 2030, the sector faces a significant challenge. Longer-term projections suggest that demand will continue well beyond the end of the decade.
Meeting this demand will require cooperation between employers, training providers and government. It will also require a stronger focus on recruitment, retention and workforce development. For aged care providers, the priority is not simply to fill more vacancies. It is to build a workforce that can deliver consistent, high-quality care over the long term.
