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AustraliaCommunity profile

Greater Sydney

Industry sector of employment

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

Greater Sydney'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
Greater Sydney - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Australia %Number%Australia %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing10,5950.42.39,9220.42.5+673
Mining4,8620.21.84,7740.21.7+88
Manufacturing131,3325.45.9130,8315.86.4+501
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services20,0800.81.117,7570.81.1+2,323
Construction198,2868.28.9186,3318.28.5+11,955
Wholesale trade78,8453.22.681,4773.62.9-2,632
Retail Trade213,8518.89.1211,8899.39.9+1,962
Accommodation and Food Services133,3345.56.5151,8286.76.9-18,494
Transport, Postal and Warehousing122,9935.14.5114,5975.04.7+8,396
Information Media and Telecommunications58,6272.41.463,4222.81.7-4,795
Financial and Insurance Services169,3897.03.7144,8096.43.6+24,580
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services46,9481.91.644,1821.91.7+2,766
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services265,20810.97.8223,7119.87.3+41,497
Administrative and Support Services77,6773.23.281,3973.63.4-3,720
Public Administration and Safety132,8395.56.6124,4345.56.7+8,405
Education and Training206,5848.58.8182,7678.08.7+23,817
Health Care and Social Assistance325,44913.414.5263,35611.612.6+62,093
Arts and Recreation Services36,3771.51.637,9561.71.7-1,579
Other Services77,5833.23.680,8993.63.7-3,316
Inadequately described or not stated119,8344.94.4116,3885.14.4+3,446
Total employed persons aged 15+2,430,693100.0100.02,272,727100.0100.0+157,966
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 Greater Sydney in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (325,449 people or 13.4%)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (265,208 people or 10.9%)
  • Retail Trade (213,851 people or 8.8%)

In combination, these three industries employed 804,508 people in total or 33.1% of the total employed resident population.

In comparison, Australia employed 14.5% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 7.8% in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and 9.1% in Retail Trade.

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

  • A larger percentage of persons employed in financial and insurance services (7.0% compared to 3.7%)
  • A larger percentage of persons employed in professional, scientific and technical services (10.9% compared to 7.8%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing (0.4% compared to 2.3%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in mining (0.2% compared to 1.8%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in Greater Sydney increased by 157,966 between 2016 and 2021.

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

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+62,093 persons)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+41,497 persons)
  • Financial and Insurance Services (+24,580 persons)
  • Education and Training (+23,817 persons)

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