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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

Key PALM scheme worker and employer data as at August 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, August 2026.

PALM scheme worker data

In August 2026:

  • there were 31,600 workers participating in the scheme
  • 15,260 were short-term workers and 16,340 were long-term workers
  • 5,735 were female and 25,860 were male. 

PALM scheme workers by state and territory 

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

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

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, August 2026.

PALM scheme workers’ country of origin

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

FijiKiribatiNaoeroPapua New GuineaSamoaSolomon IslandsTimor-LesteTongaTuvaluVanuatu
4,5701,340352,8352,7654,7704,9953,5252906,475

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, August 2026. 

PALM scheme workers’ participation by industry 

Figure 3: PALM scheme workers by industry, August 2026

PALM scheme worker data by industry as at August 2026

Source: DEWR, PALM scheme, August 2026. 

PALM scheme employer data

In August 2026:

  • there were 565 approved PALM scheme employers
  • 451 were direct employers and 114 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
September 202613 November 2026
October 202611 December 2026
November202615 January 2027 

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). 

Quarterly data reports