What it means for our industry, our talent and 2026
2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for South Australia’s property and construction sector.
According to SEEK’s latest report, Adelaide recorded a remarkable 24% increase in job ads across construction and property, a level of activity well ahead of other key markets. By comparison:
Tasmania: +7.5%
Brisbane: +4.2%
Melbourne: –8.9%
These figures confirm what many in our industry have been feeling on the ground: Adelaide is experiencing genuine momentum. A combination of population growth, major infrastructure commitments, sustained confidence in the housing market, and a growing pipeline of development activity is driving strong demand for skilled professionals.
But we have a talent challenge
While job opportunities are rising, we know that Adelaide continues to lose a portion of mobile talent to competing markets, most notably Perth and Brisbane, which remain highly attractive to interstate candidates.
We are also seeing a sustained preference among Kiwi migrants choosing Brisbane as their destination of choice.
This creates a dual reality for South Australia:
We are creating roles at a record pace,
Yet we are competing harder than ever before to attract and retain skilled people.
What does this mean for Adelaide?
Adelaide’s momentum is real, but to fully capitalise on it, we must strengthen our value proposition as a place to live, work, and build a long-term career. This includes promoting our lifestyle advantages, affordability, innovation ecosystem, and the scale of current development activity. Without this, we risk slowing project delivery and constraining the growth that is already underway
What does this mean for candidates?
For professionals in construction and property, there has never been a better time to be in Adelaide. The market offers:
Faster career progression due to strong demand
Access to major projects and leadership pathways
High job security and competitive salary movement
The ability to make a meaningful impact in a growing city
Where interstate and overseas markets may offer scale, Adelaide increasingly offers opportunity plus lifestyle, a combination becoming harder to find elsewhere.
What Does This Mean for Clients and Growing Businesses?
For employers, the message is clear: the competition for talent is intensifying.
To attract and retain the people needed to deliver projects, businesses will need to:
Move quickly on recruitment decisions
Strengthen employer branding
Offer flexibility and genuine career development pathways
Actively engage interstate and international candidates with compelling relocation narratives
Focus on retention strategies to protect capability and project continuity
Adelaide has momentum, and maintaining it requires strategic, people-focused decision-making.
Now is the time for industry, government, and business leaders to work together, and ensure that the jobs being created in Adelaide are filled by the talent that will build our state’s future.