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Cairns Regional CouncilCommunity profile

Cairns

Industry sector of employment

More Cairns residents worked in health care and social assistance than any other industry in 2021.

Cairns's industry statistics identify the industry sectors in which the residents work (which may be within the residing area or elsewhere). This will be influenced by the skill base and socio-economic status of the residents as well as the industries and employment opportunities present in the region.

When viewed in conjunction with Residents Place of Work data and Method of Travel to Work, industry sector statistics provide insights into the relationship between the economic and residential role of the area.

Q:

Derived from the two Census questions:

'What best describes the business of your employer?' and 'What are the main goods produced or main services provided by your employers business?'

Industry sector of employment
Cairns - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Regional QLD %Number%Regional QLD %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing1,2621.64.31,1761.64.7+86
Mining1,3681.73.51,0451.43.5+323
Manufacturing2,8773.65.42,6983.75.5+179
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services8631.11.26660.91.1+197
Construction6,9038.79.65,8998.19.3+1,004
Wholesale trade1,6602.12.11,7062.42.3-46
Retail Trade7,7069.79.67,68510.610.3+21
Accommodation and Food Services7,9089.98.07,26810.08.2+640
Transport, Postal and Warehousing4,4875.64.14,5906.34.5-103
Information Media and Telecommunications4540.60.85850.81.0-131
Financial and Insurance Services1,0381.31.81,0871.51.9-49
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services1,3511.71.71,4582.02.0-107
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services3,7454.74.83,3874.74.6+358
Administrative and Support Services2,8883.63.33,0984.33.5-210
Public Administration and Safety5,8527.35.65,7948.06.0+58
Education and Training7,0568.98.76,5009.08.8+556
Health Care and Social Assistance14,38918.115.410,44614.412.8+3,943
Arts and Recreation Services1,2491.61.61,4362.01.6-187
Other Services3,6224.54.13,0474.24.0+575
Inadequately described or not stated2,9813.74.42,8283.94.3+153
Total employed persons aged 15+79,659100.0100.072,399100.0100.0+7,260
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the resident population in Cairns in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (14,389 people or 18.1%)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (7,908 people or 9.9%)
  • Retail Trade (7,706 people or 9.7%)

In combination, these three industries employed 30,003 people in total or 37.7% of the total employed resident population.

In comparison, Regional QLD employed 15.4% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 8.0% in Accommodation and Food Services; and 9.6% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by the population of Cairns and Regional QLD were:

  • A larger percentage of persons employed in health care and social assistance (18.1% compared to 15.4%)
  • A larger percentage of persons employed in accommodation and food services (9.9% compared to 8.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing (1.6% compared to 4.3%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in manufacturing (3.6% compared to 5.4%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in Cairns increased by 7,260 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the jobs held by the resident population between 2016 and 2021 in Cairns were for those employed in:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+3,943 persons)
  • Construction (+1,004 persons)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (+640 persons)
  • Other Services (+575 persons)

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