Jobs in technology, transport and trades are among the most in demand occupations in Australia — with a job that barely existed a few years ago topping the list.

New data from employment site SEEK shows a massive 295 per cent increase in the number of job advertisements for artificial intelligence engineers in the six months from September to February, compared with the same time the previous year.

Retail specialists also saw a big increase in job ad growth of 212 per cent, followed by ads for locomotive drivers and bus drivers.

SEEK chief economist Blair Chapman said the in-demand role data showed the fastest hiring growth has been in technology, transport, trades, and financial services.

“Employers are looking for talent across a wide range of roles, from frontline retail workers to senior finance and accounting professionals, suggesting labour demand was resilient heading into 2026,” he said.

With AI engineer standing out as the fastest-growing role, Dr Chapman said the data reinforced the rising value of AI capability.

“This isn’t a surprise, and points to Australian businesses moving from AI experimentation to implementation, requiring the AI skills to build, deploy and maintain these systems,” he said.

“It’s a role that barely existed in the Australian labour market a few years ago, and its rapid rise reflects just how quickly technology is reshaping workforce needs.”

“Beyond tech, transport roles are seeing particularly strong momentum, with both locomotive drivers and bus drivers appearing in the top ten, with job ads more than doubling.

“Construction and trades and services roles are also growing quickly, with commissioning technicians and estimator supervisors on the list of most in-demand roles.

“Together, this suggests ongoing investment by both business and government in infrastructure and building activity, and continued demand for skilled trades to deliver it.”

Job ad growth

• Artificial intelligence engineer - 295.6 per cent
• Retail specialist -212.5 per cent
• Locomotive driver - 119.8 per cent
• Bus driver -112.9 per cent
• Commissioning technician (trades and services) - 112.5 per cent
• Finance coordinator (accounting) - 109.1 per cent
• Solutions engineer (information and communication technology) - 108.3 per cent
• Estimator supervisor (construction) - 106.8 per cent
• Area manager (community services and development) - 104.8 per cent
• Finance lead (accounting)- 103.3 per cent