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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idThere were more female professionals in Australia in 2021 than any other occupation.
Australia'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 Australia'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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - Employed females (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Occupation | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Managers | 652,419 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 514,358 | 10.1 | 10.0 | +138,061 |
| Professionals | 1,624,952 | 27.8 | 29.9 | 1,313,341 | 25.9 | 27.7 | +311,611 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 259,504 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 226,068 | 4.5 | 4.3 | +33,436 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 983,389 | 16.8 | 15.7 | 808,822 | 15.9 | 15.1 | +174,567 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 1,146,588 | 19.6 | 20.0 | 1,099,875 | 21.7 | 22.2 | +46,713 |
| Sales Workers | 599,520 | 10.2 | 9.9 | 614,711 | 12.1 | 11.8 | -15,191 |
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 94,396 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 67,579 | 1.3 | 1.3 | +26,817 |
| Labourers | 393,792 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 356,360 | 7.0 | 6.1 | +37,432 |
| Not stated or inadequately described | 94,656 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 74,934 | 1.5 | 1.5 | +19,722 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 5,849,199 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 5,076,048 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +773,151 |
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the female resident population in Australia in 2021 shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (1,624,952 females or 27.8%)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (1,146,588 females or 19.6%)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (983,389 females or 16.8%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 3,754,929 females in total or 64.2% of the employed female resident population.
In comparison, Greater Capital Cities employed 29.9% in Professionals; 20.0% in Clerical and Administrative Workers; and 15.7% in Community and Personal Service Workers.
The major differences between the jobs held by the female population of Australia and Greater Capital Cities were:
- A larger percentage of females employed as Community and Personal Service Workers (16.8% compared to 15.7%)
- A smaller percentage of females employed as Professionals (27.8% compared to 29.9%)
Emerging groups
The number of employed females in Australia increased by 773,151 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest changes in the occupations of female residents between 2016 and 2021 in Australia were for those employed as:
- Professionals (+311,611 females)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+174,567 females)
- Managers (+138,061 females)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (+46,713 females)
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