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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idThere were more professionals in Greater Melbourne in 2021 than any other occupation.
Greater Melbourne'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 Melbourne'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 Melbourne - Employed persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Occupation | Number | % | Australia % | Number | % | Australia % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Managers | 337,829 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 279,604 | 13.2 | 13.0 | +58,225 |
| Professionals | 656,333 | 26.8 | 24.0 | 528,262 | 25.0 | 22.2 | +128,071 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 296,021 | 12.1 | 12.9 | 266,850 | 12.6 | 13.5 | +29,171 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 256,199 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 216,441 | 10.2 | 10.8 | +39,758 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 314,570 | 12.9 | 12.7 | 293,223 | 13.9 | 13.6 | +21,347 |
| Sales Workers | 202,049 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 205,194 | 9.7 | 9.4 | -3,145 |
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 142,288 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 118,895 | 5.6 | 6.3 | +23,393 |
| Labourers | 191,239 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 170,449 | 8.1 | 9.5 | +20,790 |
| Not stated or inadequately described | 48,454 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 36,578 | 1.7 | 1.7 | +11,876 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 2,444,991 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 2,115,496 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +329,495 |
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in Greater Melbourne in 2021 shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (656,333 people or 26.8%)
- Managers (337,829 people or 13.8%)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (314,570 people or 12.9%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 1,308,732 people in total or 53.5% of the employed resident population.
In comparison, Australia employed 24.0% in Professionals; 13.7% in Managers; and 12.7% in Clerical and Administrative Workers.
The major differences between the jobs held by the population of Greater Melbourne and Australia were:
- A larger percentage of persons employed as Professionals (26.8% compared to 24.0%)
- A smaller percentage of persons employed as Labourers (7.8% compared to 9.0%)
Emerging groups
The number of employed people in Greater Melbourne increased by 329,495 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest changes in the occupations of residents between 2016 and 2021 in Greater Melbourne were for those employed as:
- Professionals (+128,071 persons)
- Managers (+58,225 persons)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+39,758 persons)
- Technicians and Trades Workers (+29,171 persons)
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