Horse breeder and track rider added to national occupation shortage list

Horse breeder is one of 28 occupations added to Jobs and Skills Australia’s 2026 Occupation Shortage List.

Track rider also moved into shortage in 2026, while horse trainer and veterinary nurse moved from shortage to no shortage.

The 2026 list rates 279 of 1021 assessed occupations, or 27 per cent, as in shortage. That is down from 29 per cent in 2025 and a peak of 36 per cent in 2023, and the agency attributes the easing to a gradual softening of the labour market.

Jockey was excluded from the 2026 assessment, with the agency saying this was consistent with its earlier removal of golfer and sportsperson.

The agency’s horse breeder classification covers managing stud operations, maintaining pedigree records, selecting breeding stock and organising sales.

It records 690 people employed in the role at the 2021 Census. Their median age was 53, compared with 40 across total employment.

AgriFutures Australia published its Thoroughbred Breeding Industry Workforce Strategy 2026 on September 11. The project behind it identified ongoing labour shortages and reliance on temporary and overseas workers.

It also found a mismatch between industry roles and national classifications, limiting the industry’s ability to obtain policy support and funding.