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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 December quarter 2025 PALM scheme quarterly data report was released on 6 March 2026 and can be downloaded here.

 

PALM scheme key monthly data

Key worker and employer data as of January 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, January 2026.

PALM scheme worker data

In January 2026:

  • there were 31,970 workers participating in the scheme
  • 15,225 were short-term workers and 16,740 were long-term workers
  • 6,435 were female and 25,530 were male. 

PALM scheme workers by state and territory 

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

Worker data by state and territory as of January 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, January 2026.

PALM scheme workers’ country of origin

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

FijiKiribatiNauruPapua New GuineaSamoaSolomon IslandsTimor-LesteTongaTuvaluVanuatu
4,9501,505402,6652,7054,5055,2453,2302906,835

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, January 2026. 

PALM scheme workers’ participation by industry 

Figure 3: PALM scheme workers by industry, January 2026

PALM scheme worker data by industry as at January 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, January 2026. 

PALM scheme employer data

In January 2026:

  • there were 533 approved PALM scheme employers
  • 422 employers were direct employers and 111 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 in the first or second week of each month. This timeframe can vary, usually due to the impact of public holidays or short months. The expected publishing date may also change for a range of reasons including lags in receiving data, or unanticipated resourcing pressures.

Expected publishing dates:

Data periodExpected publishing date
February 202615 April 2026
March 202613 May 2026
April 202612 June 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.   

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