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AustraliaCommunity profile

Victoria

Industry sector of employment

More Victoria residents worked in health care and social assistance than any other industry in 2021.

Victoria'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
Victoria - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Australia %Number%Australia %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing67,2202.12.360,9132.22.5+6,307
Mining9,3620.31.89,1410.31.7+221
Manufacturing220,8237.05.9212,7227.86.4+8,101
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services36,0121.11.130,8081.11.1+5,204
Construction297,9819.48.9228,1508.38.5+69,831
Wholesale trade89,3362.82.688,3223.22.9+1,014
Retail Trade297,4719.49.1279,63610.29.9+17,835
Accommodation and Food Services196,3006.26.5180,8296.66.9+15,471
Transport, Postal and Warehousing147,2584.74.5130,0704.84.7+17,188
Information Media and Telecommunications49,6761.61.452,1971.91.7-2,521
Financial and Insurance Services128,3614.13.7106,6713.93.6+21,690
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services46,2711.51.643,0161.61.7+3,255
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services266,9268.47.8217,4027.97.3+49,524
Administrative and Support Services99,3833.13.293,3153.43.4+6,068
Public Administration and Safety178,0775.66.6144,3165.36.7+33,761
Education and Training277,1008.88.8236,2808.68.7+40,820
Health Care and Social Assistance445,90614.114.5342,00312.512.6+103,903
Arts and Recreation Services54,5891.71.652,7691.91.7+1,820
Other Services109,7733.53.698,2543.63.7+11,519
Inadequately described or not stated145,0764.64.4129,3324.74.4+15,744
Total employed persons aged 15+3,162,901100.0100.02,736,146100.0100.0+426,755
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 Victoria in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (445,906 people or 14.1%)
  • Construction (297,981 people or 9.4%)
  • Retail Trade (297,471 people or 9.4%)

In combination, these three industries employed 1,041,358 people in total or 32.9% of the total employed resident population.

In comparison, Australia employed 14.5% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 8.9% in Construction; and 9.1% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by the population of Victoria and Australia were:

  • A larger percentage of persons employed in manufacturing (7.0% compared to 5.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in mining (0.3% compared to 1.8%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in Victoria increased by 426,755 between 2016 and 2021.

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

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+103,903 persons)
  • Construction (+69,831 persons)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+49,524 persons)
  • Education and Training (+40,820 persons)

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