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PALM scheme data

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Data for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, including information about participating workers and employers, is published here and is updated monthly. Horticulture

For workers, information is provided about their sex, country of origin, the industry they are working in, their participation in the short-term or long-term PALM scheme streams, and the Australian state or territory where they work. 

For employers, information about the number and type of employers is available.  

Data users should note PALM scheme activity may be affected by seasonal patterns, including the nature of work in agriculture or workers returning home for holidays. Worker and employer participation may vary from month to month. Conclusions about long-term program trends should not be made based on monthly movements. 

PALM scheme quarterly data report

The quarterly data report presents longer-term trends and analysis of PALM scheme data. The June 2026 PALM scheme quarterly data report was released on 4 September 2026 and can be downloaded here.

 

PALM scheme key monthly data

PALM scheme key worker and employer data as at July 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, July 2026.

PALM scheme worker data

In July 2026:

  • there were 31,840 workers participating in the scheme
  • 15,560 were short-term workers and 16,285 were long-term workers
  • 5,745 were female and 26,100 were male. 

PALM scheme workers by state and territory 

Figure 1: PALM scheme workers by state and territory, July 2026

PALM scheme worker data by state and territory as at July 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, July 2026.

PALM scheme workers’ country of origin

Figure 2: PALM scheme workers by country of origin, July 2026

FijiKiribatiNaoeroPapua New GuineaSamoaSolomon IslandsTimor-LesteTongaTuvaluVanuatu
4,7301,410352,7052,9454,8654,8053,6702856,390

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, July 2026. 

PALM scheme workers’ participation by industry 

Figure 3: PALM scheme workers by industry, July 2026

PALM scheme worker data by industry as at July 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, July 2026. 

PALM scheme employer data

In July 2026:

  • there were 558 approved PALM scheme employers
  • 445 were direct employers and 113 were labour hire companies.

More information 

Published PALM scheme data is sourced from administrative records captured by DEWR. It includes workers on the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403), Pacific Australia Labour Mobility stream. 

The relevant Subclass 408 visa (pandemic event) closed to new applications in February 2024. Workers holding this visa are included in historical data up to December 2024 (where possible). 

See publication table notes for more information. 

Data publication

PALM scheme data is also available on data.gov.au, the central source of Australian open government data. 

Data is published monthly, usually by the middle of the month. This timeframe can vary, due to the impact of public holidays or short months, lags in receiving data, or unanticipated resourcing pressures.

Expected publishing dates:

Data periodExpected publishing date
August 202616 October 2026
September 202613 November 2026
October 202611 December 2026

Data notes

Published PALM scheme worker data is rounded to the nearest 5 to ensure individual privacy is protected. As a result of rounding, the sum of totals may not add to other totals.   

Important note: total PALM scheme employers' figure for June has been revised from 556 to 559. This change reflects updated data received after the original publication date.

For more information, contact (pacificlabourdata@dewr.gov.au). 

Quarterly data reports