CrossNation recruits production operators, maintenance staff and processing workers for Australian manufacturers, including food and meat processing. A placement through us is a direct hire, so the worker becomes your employee. We also source sponsorship-ready overseas candidates where the role suits them.
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)
South Australia first licensed labour hire in five industries, including meat processing and seafood processing, and expanded the licensing regime to all industries from 29 January 2026.
Source: Legal Services Commission of South Australia: Employment and labour hire workers (retrieved 4 October 2026)
State the product line, the shift pattern, the physical demands and the certificates the site needs, for example food safety or forklift licences. Processing sites often run early starts and cold environments, which candidates should hear up front. We record each candidate's experience, tickets and availability and leave the site induction and medical steps to you.
Labour hire licensing schemes apply to businesses that supply workers to others. Victoria's Labour Hire Authority says meat and poultry processing arrangements generally require a licence, and South Australia first licensed labour hire in five industries, including meat and seafood processing, before extending the scheme to all industries from 29 January 2026. A recruitment placement in which the candidate becomes your employee is a different arrangement, but the line can be fine, so check how yours is classified.
Manufacturing had 22.2 thousand job vacancies in August 2026, up from 21.5 thousand in August 2025, and the range over six quarters was 18.6 to 22.2 thousand. The industry includes food, metal, machinery and chemical production, so the number covers much more than processing. Use it as a market signal and brief us on the roles you need.
Some overseas processing workers reach Australia through the Pacific scheme, which the OECD says covers sectors including meat processing. That scheme runs through approved employers and is separate from CrossNation's recruitment service. For direct hires, we can source sponsorship-ready overseas candidates, and the employer holds or obtains its own approval.
The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
Yes, for direct placements. Tell us the plant, the shift pattern and the roles.
No. CrossNation is a recruitment agency. We place candidates who become your employees.
It depends on the industry. The Manufacturing and Associated Industries Award, the Meat Industry Award and others apply, and many sites have enterprise agreements. Check which covers the role.
Our fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary and applies only if a placement succeeds, and each placement carries a 90-day placement guarantee. Wages, superannuation, protective equipment and site training are separate costs, and shift loadings change the weekly figure.
No. The employer sponsors. Processing workers can also arrive through the Pacific scheme, which has its own employer approval that CrossNation does not handle. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
