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Cairns Regional CouncilCommunity profile

Cairns City

Industry sector of employment

More Cairns City residents worked in accommodation and food services than any other industry in 2021.

Cairns City'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 City - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Cairns %Number%Cairns %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing191.51.6181.51.6+1
Mining231.81.7171.41.4+6
Manufacturing241.93.6231.93.7+1
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services100.81.180.70.9+2
Construction735.78.7504.28.1+23
Wholesale trade221.72.1141.22.4+8
Retail Trade967.59.712110.110.6-25
Accommodation and Food Services30223.79.925120.910.0+51
Transport, Postal and Warehousing715.65.6766.36.3-5
Information Media and Telecommunications70.60.6171.40.8-10
Financial and Insurance Services191.51.3292.41.5-10
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services383.01.7473.92.0-9
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services705.54.7655.44.7+5
Administrative and Support Services544.23.6524.34.3+2
Public Administration and Safety685.37.3665.58.0+2
Education and Training473.78.9574.89.0-10
Health Care and Social Assistance21516.918.116513.814.4+50
Arts and Recreation Services231.81.6302.52.0-7
Other Services433.44.5352.94.2+8
Inadequately described or not stated483.83.7594.93.9-11
Total employed persons aged 15+1,272100.0100.01,200100.0100.0+72
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 City in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Accommodation and Food Services (302 people or 23.7%)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (215 people or 16.9%)
  • Retail Trade (96 people or 7.5%)

In combination, these three industries employed 613 people in total or 48.2% of the total employed resident population.

In comparison, Cairns employed 9.9% in Accommodation and Food Services; 18.1% in Health Care and Social Assistance; and 9.7% in Retail Trade.

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

  • A larger percentage of persons employed in accommodation and food services (23.7% compared to 9.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in education and training (3.7% compared to 8.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in construction (5.7% compared to 8.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in retail trade (7.5% compared to 9.7%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in Cairns City increased by 72 between 2016 and 2021.

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

  • Accommodation and Food Services (+51 persons)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+50 persons)

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