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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idThere were more professionals in Greater Sydney in 2021 than any other occupation.
Greater Sydney'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 Greater Sydney'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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Sydney - Employed persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2011 | Change | ||||
| Occupation | Number | % | Greater Perth % | Number | % | Greater Perth % | 2011 to 2021 |
| Managers | 368,876 | 15.2 | 11.9 | 273,899 | 13.3 | 11.4 | +94,977 |
| Professionals | 711,729 | 29.3 | 23.7 | 526,572 | 25.5 | 21.7 | +185,157 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 254,555 | 10.5 | 14.7 | 251,466 | 12.2 | 16.1 | +3,089 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 225,062 | 9.3 | 12.0 | 182,072 | 8.8 | 9.7 | +42,990 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 334,504 | 13.8 | 12.5 | 333,444 | 16.2 | 15.3 | +1,060 |
| Sales Workers | 188,556 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 185,980 | 9.0 | 9.0 | +2,576 |
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 136,033 | 5.6 | 7.0 | 118,165 | 5.7 | 6.6 | +17,868 |
| Labourers | 164,335 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 151,331 | 7.3 | 8.8 | +13,004 |
| Not stated or inadequately described | 47,046 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 40,372 | 2.0 | 1.4 | +6,674 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 2,430,704 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 2,063,301 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +367,403 |
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in Greater Sydney in 2021 shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (711,729 people or 29.3%)
- Managers (368,876 people or 15.2%)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (334,504 people or 13.8%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 1,415,109 people in total or 58.2% of the employed resident population.
In comparison, Greater Perth employed 23.7% in Professionals; 11.9% in Managers; and 12.5% in Clerical and Administrative Workers.
The major differences between the jobs held by the population of Greater Sydney and Greater Perth were:
- A larger percentage of persons employed as Professionals (29.3% compared to 23.7%)
- A larger percentage of persons employed as Managers (15.2% compared to 11.9%)
- A smaller percentage of persons employed as Technicians and Trades Workers (10.5% compared to 14.7%)
- A smaller percentage of persons employed as Community and Personal Service Workers (9.3% compared to 12.0%)
Emerging groups
The number of employed people in Greater Sydney increased by 367,403 between 2011 and 2021.
The largest changes in the occupations of residents between 2011 and 2021 in Greater Sydney were for those employed as:
- Professionals (+185,157 persons)
- Managers (+94,977 persons)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+42,990 persons)
- Machinery Operators And Drivers (+17,868 persons)
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