Australia’s aged-care sector faces a shortfall of 35,000 workers, an alarming new report has revealed.

A report from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia reveals staff shortages have doubled in less than a year, with the industry now short by an additional 18,000 workers compared to last August.

CEO of TLC Healthcare, Lou Pascuzzi, says COVID-19 has “really decimated the industry”.

“It has been quite a challenge. We’ve had an internal agency of staff established three or four years ago that has served us pretty well,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Elise Elliott, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“Now we’re getting to a point where we’re having to look to overseas sources.”

Mr Pascuzzi says government funding increases have failed to keep pace with real cost increases in the market and the industry is “grossly underpaid”.

Press PLAY below to hear more about what’s fuelling the staggering shortage