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AustraliaCommunity profile

South East Queensland

Industry sector of employment

More South East Queensland residents worked in health care and social assistance than any other industry in 2021.

South East Queensland's industry statistics identify the industry sectors in which the residents work (which may be within the residing area or elsewhere). This will be influenced by the skill base and socio-economic status of the residents as well as the industries and employment opportunities present in the region.

When viewed in conjunction with Residents Place of Work data and Method of Travel to Work, industry sector statistics provide insights into the relationship between the economic and residential role of the area.

Q:

Derived from the two Census questions:

'What best describes the business of your employer?' and 'What are the main goods produced or main services provided by your employers business?'

Industry sector of employment
South East Queensland - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Regional TAS %Number%Regional TAS %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing16,6801.08.115,6021.08.1+1,078
Mining19,2701.11.716,5841.11.6+2,686
Manufacturing101,2275.87.592,1456.18.2+9,082
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services18,8301.11.414,7911.01.3+4,039
Construction165,4029.48.6142,0429.57.7+23,360
Wholesale trade43,0682.52.841,6812.82.6+1,387
Retail Trade162,8119.39.8149,34510.011.0+13,466
Accommodation and Food Services124,5617.17.5109,6897.37.5+14,872
Transport, Postal and Warehousing84,1114.84.776,3325.14.8+7,779
Information Media and Telecommunications19,9511.10.820,7831.40.9-832
Financial and Insurance Services53,9663.11.645,5283.01.7+8,438
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services34,0131.91.033,1102.21.2+903
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services138,8577.93.9109,9357.33.7+28,922
Administrative and Support Services61,1013.52.955,5503.73.0+5,551
Public Administration and Safety103,3885.94.994,2726.35.4+9,116
Education and Training154,5478.88.5134,7149.08.6+19,833
Health Care and Social Assistance270,72315.516.0197,24313.113.6+73,480
Arts and Recreation Services30,8341.81.426,9841.81.5+3,850
Other Services67,5993.93.857,7733.93.8+9,826
Inadequately described or not stated80,1384.63.066,4384.43.7+13,700
Total employed persons aged 15+1,751,077100.0100.01,500,541100.0100.0+250,536
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in South East Queensland in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (270,723 people or 15.5%)
  • Construction (165,402 people or 9.4%)
  • Retail Trade (162,811 people or 9.3%)

In combination, these three industries employed 598,936 people in total or 34.2% of the total employed resident population.

In comparison, Regional TAS employed 16.0% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 8.6% in Construction; and 9.8% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by the population of South East Queensland and Regional TAS were:

  • A larger percentage of persons employed in professional, scientific and technical services (7.9% compared to 3.9%)
  • A larger percentage of persons employed in financial and insurance services (3.1% compared to 1.6%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing (1.0% compared to 8.1%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in manufacturing (5.8% compared to 7.5%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in South East Queensland increased by 250,536 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the jobs held by the resident population between 2016 and 2021 in South East Queensland were for those employed in:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+73,480 persons)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+28,922 persons)
  • Construction (+23,360 persons)
  • Education and Training (+19,833 persons)

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