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AustraliaCommunity profile

Australia

Industry sector of employment

More Australia male residents worked in construction than any other industry in 2021.

Australia'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
Australia - Employed males (Usual residence)20212006Change
Industry sectorNumber%Greater Capital Cities %Number%Greater Capital Cities %2006 to 2021
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing191,5743.10.8195,0114.00.8-3,437
Mining174,6952.81.990,8311.81.0+83,864
Manufacturing503,7358.18.1704,85714.414.9-201,122
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services99,7921.61.569,8491.41.2+29,943
Construction910,67614.714.2613,95712.512.1+296,719
Wholesale trade204,8483.33.6258,8345.36.0-53,986
Retail Trade481,0317.88.0441,9729.09.1+39,059
Accommodation and Food Services358,8405.85.6247,6955.05.0+111,145
Transport, Postal and Warehousing417,4426.77.2328,7596.77.0+88,683
Information Media and Telecommunications100,5831.62.0101,9192.12.5-1,336
Financial and Insurance Services219,8363.54.6158,7583.24.2+61,078
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services91,5191.51.675,8391.51.6+15,680
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services515,3298.310.0328,1926.78.2+187,137
Administrative and Support Services187,2463.03.1137,2452.83.0+50,001
Public Administration and Safety419,1006.86.1341,8957.06.3+77,205
Education and Training290,4094.74.8212,8154.34.4+77,594
Health Care and Social Assistance390,5256.36.4204,5024.24.4+186,023
Arts and Recreation Services94,6621.51.666,4891.41.4+28,173
Other Services227,8593.73.5191,1143.93.9+36,745
Inadequately described or not stated320,4735.25.4140,6042.92.9+179,869
Total employed persons aged 15+6,200,174100.0100.04,911,137100.0100.0+1,289,037
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2006 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 male resident population in Australia in 2021 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:

  • Construction (910,676 males or 14.7%)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (515,329 males or 8.3%)
  • Manufacturing (503,735 males or 8.1%)

In combination, these three industries employed 1,929,740 males in total or 31.1% of the total employed male resident population.

In comparison, Greater Capital Cities employed 14.2% in Construction; 10.0% in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; and 8.1% in Manufacturing.

The major differences between the jobs held by the male population of Australia and Greater Capital Cities were:

  • A larger percentage of males employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing (3.1% compared to 0.8%)
  • A smaller percentage of males employed in professional, scientific and technical services (8.3% compared to 10.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of males employed in financial and insurance services (3.5% compared to 4.6%)

Emerging groups

The number of employed males in Australia increased by 1,289,037 between 2006 and 2021.

The largest changes in the jobs held by the male resident population between 2006 and 2021 in Australia were for those employed in:

  • Construction (+296,719 males)
  • Manufacturing (-201,122 males)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+187,137 males)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+186,023 males)

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