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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idThere were more professionals in New South Wales in 2021 than any other occupation.
New South Wales's occupation statistics quantify the occupations in which the residents work (which may be within the residing area or elsewhere). This will be influenced by the economic base and employment opportunities available in the area, education levels, and the working and social aspirations of the population. When viewed with other indicators, such as Educational Qualifications and Individual Income, Occupation is a key measure for evaluating New South Wales's socio-economic status and skill base.
Q:
Derived from the two Census questions:
'In the main job held last week, what was the person's occupation?' and 'What are the main tasks that the person himself/herself usually performs in that occupation?'
| Occupation of employment | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales - Employed persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Occupation | Number | % | Regional QLD % | Number | % | Regional QLD % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Managers | 536,820 | 14.6 | 12.4 | 456,086 | 13.5 | 12.4 | +80,734 |
| Professionals | 952,131 | 25.8 | 18.0 | 798,128 | 23.6 | 16.7 | +154,003 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 436,589 | 11.9 | 15.1 | 429,235 | 12.7 | 15.7 | +7,354 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 390,779 | 10.6 | 13.0 | 350,259 | 10.4 | 11.8 | +40,520 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 480,612 | 13.0 | 11.8 | 467,982 | 13.8 | 12.5 | +12,630 |
| Sales Workers | 294,889 | 8.0 | 9.1 | 311,413 | 9.2 | 10.2 | -16,524 |
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 222,186 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 206,840 | 6.1 | 7.6 | +15,346 |
| Labourers | 300,966 | 8.2 | 11.2 | 297,888 | 8.8 | 11.6 | +3,078 |
| Not stated or inadequately described | 69,203 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 62,509 | 1.8 | 1.6 | +6,694 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 3,684,158 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 3,380,340 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +303,818 |
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in New South Wales in 2021 shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (952,131 people or 25.8%)
- Managers (536,820 people or 14.6%)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (480,612 people or 13.0%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 1,969,563 people in total or 53.5% of the employed resident population.
In comparison, Regional QLD employed 18.0% in Professionals; 12.4% in Managers; and 11.8% in Clerical and Administrative Workers.
The major differences between the jobs held by the population of New South Wales and Regional QLD were:
- A larger percentage of persons employed as Professionals (25.8% compared to 18.0%)
- A smaller percentage of persons employed as Technicians and Trades Workers (11.9% compared to 15.1%)
- A smaller percentage of persons employed as Labourers (8.2% compared to 11.2%)
- A smaller percentage of persons employed as Community and Personal Service Workers (10.6% compared to 13.0%)
Emerging groups
The number of employed people in New South Wales increased by 303,818 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest changes in the occupations of residents between 2016 and 2021 in New South Wales were for those employed as:
- Professionals (+154,003 persons)
- Managers (+80,734 persons)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+40,520 persons)
- Sales Workers (-16,524 persons)
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