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Toowoomba Regional CouncilCommunity profile

Toowoomba

Industry sector of employment

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

Toowoomba'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
Toowoomba - Employed persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Industry sectorNumber%Regional QLD %Number%Regional QLD %2016 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing4,6705.94.34,5356.44.7+135
Mining1,1751.53.51,2851.83.5-110
Manufacturing5,4056.85.44,8406.85.5+565
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services9771.21.28361.21.1+141
Construction6,6868.49.66,0538.59.3+633
Wholesale trade1,8732.42.12,1303.02.3-257
Retail Trade7,2699.19.66,7569.510.3+513
Accommodation and Food Services4,7396.08.04,2305.98.2+509
Transport, Postal and Warehousing3,0863.94.13,0004.24.5+86
Information Media and Telecommunications4500.60.84970.71.0-47
Financial and Insurance Services1,8862.41.81,8782.61.9+8
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services9211.21.71,0331.52.0-112
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services3,6354.64.83,1704.54.6+465
Administrative and Support Services1,8782.43.31,7332.43.5+145
Public Administration and Safety4,6425.85.64,7386.76.0-96
Education and Training8,57110.88.77,80611.08.8+765
Health Care and Social Assistance14,64918.415.410,50014.712.8+4,149
Arts and Recreation Services7691.01.66680.91.6+101
Other Services3,2644.14.12,9084.14.0+356
Inadequately described or not stated2,9643.74.42,5973.64.3+367
Total employed persons aged 15+79,509100.0100.071,193100.0100.0+8,316
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 Toowoomba in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (14,649 people or 18.4%)
  • Education and Training (8,571 people or 10.8%)
  • Retail Trade (7,269 people or 9.1%)

In combination, these three industries employed 30,489 people in total or 38.3% of the total employed resident population.

In comparison, Regional QLD employed 15.4% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 8.7% in Education and Training; and 9.6% in Retail Trade.

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

  • A larger percentage of persons employed in health care and social assistance (18.4% compared to 15.4%)
  • A larger percentage of persons employed in education and training (10.8% compared to 8.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in accommodation and food services (6.0% compared to 8.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons employed in mining (1.5% compared to 3.5%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed people in Toowoomba increased by 8,316 between 2016 and 2021.

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

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+4,149 persons)
  • Education and Training (+765 persons)
  • Construction (+633 persons)
  • Manufacturing (+565 persons)

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