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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idThere were more professionals in South East Queensland in 2021 than any other occupation.
South East Queensland'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 South East Queensland'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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland - Employed persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Occupation | Number | % | Australia % | Number | % | Australia % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Managers | 222,222 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 179,678 | 12.0 | 13.0 | +42,544 |
| Professionals | 410,934 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 325,225 | 21.7 | 22.2 | +85,709 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 226,769 | 13.0 | 12.9 | 204,490 | 13.6 | 13.5 | +22,279 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 210,416 | 12.0 | 11.5 | 168,056 | 11.2 | 10.8 | +42,360 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 230,709 | 13.2 | 12.7 | 214,930 | 14.3 | 13.6 | +15,779 |
| Sales Workers | 153,148 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 149,678 | 10.0 | 9.4 | +3,470 |
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 104,411 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 89,032 | 5.9 | 6.3 | +15,379 |
| Labourers | 160,211 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 144,976 | 9.7 | 9.5 | +15,235 |
| Not stated or inadequately described | 32,264 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 24,460 | 1.6 | 1.7 | +7,804 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 1,751,073 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1,500,525 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +250,548 |
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in South East Queensland in 2021 shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (410,934 people or 23.5%)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (230,709 people or 13.2%)
- Technicians and Trades Workers (226,769 people or 13.0%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 868,412 people in total or 49.6% of the employed resident population.
In comparison, Australia employed 24.0% in Professionals; 12.7% in Clerical and Administrative Workers; and 12.9% in Technicians and Trades Workers.
There were no major differences between South East Queensland and Australia in 2021.
Emerging groups
The number of employed people in South East Queensland increased by 250,548 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest changes in the occupations of residents between 2016 and 2021 in South East Queensland were for those employed as:
- Professionals (+85,709 persons)
- Managers (+42,544 persons)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+42,360 persons)
- Technicians and Trades Workers (+22,279 persons)
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