Current Shortage of Personal Care Assistant Workers in Victoria (2024–2025)
Report: Current Shortage of Personal Care Assistant Workers in Victoria (2024–2025)
Executive Summary
Victoria is facing a significant and sustained shortage of Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) and related care occupations. The shortage is widely acknowledged by both the Victorian Government and Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) as part of an ongoing national crisis in the aged care and disability care sectors. Despite major recruitment initiatives and training incentives, employers continue to report critical gaps in filling personal care roles, particularly in regional Victoria.
The following data and analysis demonstrate that the shortage of PCAs is chronic, systemic, and continues through 2024–2025, making skilled migration and workforce support essential.
1. Current Workforce Situation in Victoria
According to the State of the Victorian Labour Market Report 2024 (Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Victoria Government):
“Care economy occupations are, and will remain, in high demand.”
The occupation Ageing and Disability Carers, which includes Personal Care Assistants, recorded 1,037 online job vacancies in June 2024, among the highest across all sectors.
The report specifically identifies a retention gap as a major driver of shortages in this occupation.
Additionally, the Victorian Government highlights that:
“Workforce shortages are more pronounced in regional Victoria, particularly in the health care and social assistance sectors.”
2. National Context: Persistent Shortage of Carers
The Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) 2025 report, Bringing Care Home – Softening demand for aged and disabled carers may not signal easing workforce pressures, confirms that the occupation of Aged and Disabled Carers has been in persistent shortage across Australia, with retention difficulties primarily driving the shortage.
3. Structural Drivers of the Shortage
Key factors contributing to the shortage of Personal Care Assistants in Victoria include:
Aging population: Increased demand for in-home and residential aged care services.
Expansion of the NDIS: More Australians accessing disability supports requiring personal care workers.
Low retention rates: High turnover due to burnout, limited career progression, and low wages relative to workload.
Regional workforce gaps: Rural and regional providers face chronic difficulty attracting and retaining qualified workers.
Training and migration lag: The rate of new entrants into the sector is not keeping up with demand.
4. Government Acknowledgment and Response
Both Federal and State Governments have launched initiatives acknowledging these workforce shortages:
Regional, Rural and Remote Home Care Workforce Support Program (Department of Health and Aged Care) targeting recruitment and retention of PCAs in regional Victoria and other shortage areas.
Care and Support Workforce Strategy (2024) focusing on attraction, training, and migration pathways to fill ongoing gaps.
Skilled Migration Occupation Lists continue to include relevant care occupations, reflecting persistent need.
5. Evidence Summary
Indicator
Data / Source
Implication
1,037 job vacancies (June 2024)
Victorian Labour Market Report 2024
High unfilled demand in care occupations
Persistent shortage across Australia
JSA Report 2025
National labour shortfall
Retention gap identified
Victorian Government 2024
Ongoing worker turnover
Strong demand forecast through 2030s
CEDA & JSA projections
Long-term structural shortage
Regional Victoria most affected
Victorian Labour Market Report 2024
Critical recruitment difficulty outside metro areas
6. Implications for Policy and Migration
Given the above evidence, it is clear that Victoria continues to experience a workforce shortage in personal care and support occupations. Skilled, qualified, and experienced Personal Care Assistants are urgently required to maintain safe and effective delivery of aged and disability care services.
Allowing migration and employment of overseas-trained PCAs supports immediate workforce stabilisation, improved service continuity, and reduced strain on existing overworked staff. Recognition of this shortage in migration decision-making would align directly with Australia’s workforce needs and social care priorities.
7. Conclusion
The evidence from 2024–2025 clearly demonstrates that Victoria is experiencing a severe and ongoing shortage of Personal Care Assistant workers. Despite government initiatives, the shortfall persists due to systemic factors such as retention challenges, demographic pressures, and regional distribution imbalances.
The Department of Home Affairs is urged to continue recognising Personal Care Assistants and related occupations as critical shortage roles in Victoria, and to support skilled migration, visa approvals, and workforce pathways in this sector.
References
Victorian Government. State of the Victorian Labour Market Report 2024. vic.gov.au
Jobs and Skills Australia. Bringing Care Home – Softening Demand for Aged and Disabled Carers May Not Signal Easing Workforce Pressures (June 2025).
Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). Duty of Care: How to Fix the Aged Care Worker Shortage.
Australian Department of Health and Aged Care. Regional, Rural and Remote Home Care Workforce Support Program.
Report: Current Shortage of Personal Care Assistant Workers in Victoria (2024–2025)
Executive Summary
Victoria is facing a significant and sustained shortage of Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) and related care occupations. The shortage is widely acknowledged by both the Victorian Government and Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) as part of an ongoing national crisis in the aged care and disability care sectors. Despite major recruitment initiatives and training incentives, employers continue to report critical gaps in filling personal care roles, particularly in regional Victoria.
The following data and analysis demonstrate that the shortage of PCAs is chronic, systemic, and continues through 2024–2025, making skilled migration and workforce support essential.
1. Current Workforce Situation in Victoria
According to the State of the Victorian Labour Market Report 2024 (Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Victoria Government):
Additionally, the Victorian Government highlights that:
“Workforce shortages are more pronounced in regional Victoria, particularly in the health care and social assistance sectors.”
2. National Context: Persistent Shortage of Carers
The Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) 2025 report, Bringing Care Home – Softening demand for aged and disabled carers may not signal easing workforce pressures, confirms that the occupation of Aged and Disabled Carers has been in persistent shortage across Australia, with retention difficulties primarily driving the shortage.
3. Structural Drivers of the Shortage
Key factors contributing to the shortage of Personal Care Assistants in Victoria include:
4. Government Acknowledgment and Response
Both Federal and State Governments have launched initiatives acknowledging these workforce shortages:
5. Evidence Summary
6. Implications for Policy and Migration
Given the above evidence, it is clear that Victoria continues to experience a workforce shortage in personal care and support occupations. Skilled, qualified, and experienced Personal Care Assistants are urgently required to maintain safe and effective delivery of aged and disability care services.
Allowing migration and employment of overseas-trained PCAs supports immediate workforce stabilisation, improved service continuity, and reduced strain on existing overworked staff. Recognition of this shortage in migration decision-making would align directly with Australia’s workforce needs and social care priorities.
7. Conclusion
The evidence from 2024–2025 clearly demonstrates that Victoria is experiencing a severe and ongoing shortage of Personal Care Assistant workers. Despite government initiatives, the shortfall persists due to systemic factors such as retention challenges, demographic pressures, and regional distribution imbalances.
The Department of Home Affairs is urged to continue recognising Personal Care Assistants and related occupations as critical shortage roles in Victoria, and to support skilled migration, visa approvals, and workforce pathways in this sector.
References
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