The people the system runs on

Roughly 400,000 people work in Australian aged care, and the rules of their pay and staffing are set in public documents: Fair Work Commission determinations, care-minutes responsibilities, workforce data. We report from the instruments themselves, with union and provider positions attributed by name.

Workforce

“No shortage” means employers can fill the job at the pay they already offer

The Occupation Shortage List methodology, read in full. The definition is conditional on current remuneration and conditions, state ratings are not modelled, and one rule returns no shortage where nobody does the job.

30 August 2026

Workforce

The government rates home care workers as short in every state. Residential aged care workers it rates as no shortage

From the source spreadsheet behind Jobs and Skills Australia’s 2025 Occupation Shortage List. Community Aged Care Support Worker is short in all nine ratings; Residential Aged Care Worker in only two. The aged care workforce shortage is not one shortage.

29 August 2026

Workforce

From 1 August, aged care nursing pay rises for the last time under the work value case. The exact new rates

Determination PR812118, signed 15 July, closes the case built on the finding that aged care work was historically undervalued because of gender. The full new minimum-rate table, and both sides of the ledger.

18 July 2026