Manufacturing jobs include machine operators, maintenance trades, food and meat processing and production supervisors. Some workers are placed by a licensed labour hire provider and others are employed directly. Register with CrossNation to be considered as roles open. Listings are not job offers, and CrossNation cannot promise a job, visa or start date.
By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 4 October 2026.
22.2 thousand in August 2026, against 21.5 thousand in August 2025. Over the six quarters from May 2025 to August 2026 the low was 18.6 thousand (Feb 2026) and the high was 22.2 thousand (Aug 2026). Manufacturing includes food and meat processing, metal, machinery and chemical production.
Source: ABS: Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026 (job vacancies by industry, original series) (retrieved 4 October 2026)
The Labour Hire Authority's Victorian guidance for meat and poultry processing says arrangements in that industry generally require a labour hire licence.
Source: Labour Hire Authority (Victoria): Guidance for providers and hosts, meat and poultry processing (retrieved 4 October 2026)
The OECD says the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme covers sectors such as agriculture, meat processing, tourism and aged care.
Source: OECD: Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Production work is shift-based and often physical. Food and meat processing sites can involve early starts and cold rooms, and employers will tell you about protective equipment and training. Ask about shift patterns, overtime and how your hours are rostered before you accept.
Some processing workers are employed by a labour hire provider and sent to a host site. In Victoria the Labour Hire Authority says arrangements in meat and poultry processing generally require a licence, and South Australia expanded its licensing to all industries from 29 January 2026. You can ask any provider for its licence number. A direct placement means the site is your employer.
The ABS counted about 22.2 thousand open positions across manufacturing in the latest quarter, a little above a year earlier. Food, metal, machinery and chemical production all sit in that group, so it is wider than processing work.
The OECD says the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme covers sectors including meat processing. It runs through approved employers and is a different pathway from a CrossNation application. CrossNation cannot promise a job or a visa.
A recruiter reviews profiles against roles as employers brief us. Listings are not job offers.
Victoria and South Australia publish registers of licensed providers. Ask the provider for its licence number and check it.
Many entry-level roles train on the job. Maintenance and supervisor roles need relevant experience.
It depends on the award or enterprise agreement that covers the site. Check your contract.
Create a candidate profile and upload a CV with your production, processing or maintenance experience and any certificates. Recruiters match profiles to plant briefs.
You need the right to work in Australia. Pacific scheme workers come through approved employers, not through CrossNation. CrossNation cannot promise a job or a visa. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
