The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases quarterly estimates of employed people by industry (in their main job, if a person holds more than one job) in the publication Labour Force, Australia, Detailed. Quarterly data is available since November 1984, with the most recent data being August 2023.
Estimates of employment by industry division are available in seasonally adjusted, trend and original (unadjusted) series. For finer level detail on industry of employment (for example, sub-division), the ABS release original estimates. Industry data is classified across 19 divisions, according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0) (see ‘The detailed classification’).
Given ongoing interest, two previously published tables have been updated for comparable periods. Table 1 presents estimates of employment by industry with a breakdown by proportion. These figures capture one industry per employed person (based on the most hours usually worked) and do not reflect any additional jobs held (about 7% of people held more than one job at June 2023).
Table 1 Employed people by industry, Feb 2021, 2022 and 2023 (seasonally adjusted)
|
Employed people
|
|
Proportion of total employed
|
|
Feb-21
|
Feb-22
|
Feb-23
|
Change Feb-22
to Feb-23
|
Feb-21
|
Feb-22
|
Feb-23
|
| Industry of employment (Division)
|
('000)
|
('000)
|
('000)
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
(%)
|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
|
336.7
|
304.1
|
302.3
|
-0.6
|
2.6
|
2.3
|
2.2
|
| Mining
|
264.0
|
293.4
|
295.1
|
0.6
|
2.0
|
2.2
|
2.1
|
| Manufacturing
|
895.4
|
859.1 |
879.7
|
2.4
|
6.9
|
6.4
|
6.3
|
| Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
|
146.8 |
166.2
|
163.2
|
-1.8
|
1.1
|
1.2
|
1.2
|
| Construction
|
1,156.2 |
1,174.5
|
1,326.2
|
12.9
|
8.9
|
8.7
|
9.5
|
| Wholesale Trade
|
392.6
|
329.9
|
357.0
|
8.2
|
3.0
|
2.5
|
2.6
|
| Retail Trade
|
1,303.7
|
1,282.2 |
1,359.4
|
6.0
|
10.0
|
9.5
|
9.8
|
| Accommodation and Food Services
|
838.3
|
894.4
|
942.3
|
5.4
|
6.5
|
6.7
|
6.8
|
| Transport, Postal and Warehousing
|
677.7
|
676.8
|
688.0
|
1.7
|
5.2
|
5.0
|
4.9
|
| Information Media and Telecommunications
|
195.1
|
202.8
|
196.6
|
-3.0
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1.4
|
| Financial and Insurance Services
|
469.9 |
548.3
|
533.1
|
-2.8
|
3.6
|
4.1
|
3.8
|
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
|
209.6
|
236.9 |
219.3
|
-7.4
|
1.6
|
1.8
|
1.6
|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
|
1,188.6 |
1,243.9
|
1,257.1 |
1.1
|
9.2
|
9.2
|
9.0
|
| Administrative and Support Services
|
385.9
|
412.9
|
417.7
|
1.2
|
3.0
|
3.1
|
3.0
|
| Public Administration and Safety
|
864.0 |
904.1
|
894.3 |
-1.1
|
6.7
|
6.7
|
6.4
|
| Education and Training
|
1,087.4
|
1,147.4 |
1,168.0 |
1.8
|
8.4
|
8.5
|
8.4
|
| Health Care and Social Assistance
|
1,802.6
|
2,017.8
|
2,123.6
|
5.2
|
13.9
|
15.0
|
15.3
|
| Arts and Recreation Services
|
240.4
|
226.9
|
244.9
|
8.0
|
1.9
|
1.7
|
1.8
|
| Other Services
|
507.8
|
515.1
|
525.1 |
2.0
|
3.9
|
3.8
|
3.8
|
| Total employed (a) |
12,980.1 |
13,448.4 |
13,903.5 |
3.4 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
- The sum of the components may not add to the total due to the seasonal adjustment process.
Source: ABS, Labour Force, Australia, detailed, October 2023 [Table 04 and Library calculations].
Table 2 presents employed people by industry with a breakdown by sex. In February 2023, men were most likely to work in: construction (15%); professional, scientific and technical services (10%); or manufacturing (9%). Women were most likely to work in: health care and social assistance (24%); education and training (13%); or retail trade (11%). These top industries reflect those of 2022.
Table 2 Share of industry employment by sex, Feb 2023 (average of four-quarters ending, original)
|
Employed people |
Proportion of employed |
|
Men |
Women |
Persons |
Men |
Women |
Persons |
| Industry of
employment (Division) |
('000) |
('000) |
('000) |
(%) |
(%) |
(%) |
| Agriculture,
Forestry and Fishing |
209.4 |
90.5 |
299.9 |
2.9 |
1.4 |
2.2 |
| Mining |
232.5 |
54.7 |
287.2 |
3.2 |
0.8 |
2.1 |
| Manufacturing |
622.1 |
240.2 |
862.3 |
8.6 |
3.7 |
6.3 |
| Electricity,
Gas, Water and Waste Services |
130.4 |
37.2 |
167.5 |
1.8 |
0.6 |
1.2 |
| Construction |
1,099.8 |
171.7 |
1,271.5 |
15.2 |
2.6 |
9.2 |
| Wholesale
Trade |
247.3 |
114.5 |
361.8 |
3.4 |
1.7 |
2.6 |
| Retail Trade |
611.4 |
728.7 |
1,340.1 |
8.5 |
11.1 |
9.7 |
| Accommodation
and Food Services |
421.2 |
512.8 |
934.0 |
5.8 |
7.8 |
6.8 |
| Transport,
Postal and Warehousing |
538.8 |
168.1 |
706.9 |
7.5 |
2.6 |
5.1 |
| Information
Media and Telecommunications |
115.9 |
80.1 |
196.0 |
1.6 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
| Financial and
Insurance Services |
275.2 |
269.0 |
544.2 |
3.8 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
| Rental,
Hiring and Real Estate Services |
110.6 |
112.3 |
223.0 |
1.5 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
| Professional,
Scientific and Technical Services |
716.5 |
546.7 |
1,263.2 |
9.9 |
8.3 |
9.2 |
| Administrative
and Support Services |
210.4 |
230.6 |
441.0 |
2.9 |
3.5 |
3.2 |
| Public
Administration and Safety |
448.3 |
428.5 |
876.8 |
6.2 |
6.5 |
6.4 |
| Education and
Training |
312.2 |
834.7 |
1,146.9 |
4.3 |
12.7 |
8.3 |
| Health Care
and Social Assistance |
497.7 |
1,579.0 |
2,076.7 |
6.9 |
24.1 |
15.1 |
| Arts and
Recreation Services |
126.0 |
112.4 |
238.4 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
| Other
Services |
298.1 |
237.0 |
535.1 |
4.1 |
3.6 |
3.9 |
| Total
employed |
7,223.8 |
6,548.4 |
13,772.3 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
The figures presented are on a national basis; however, they are also available by state and territory, greater capital city and balance of state, and labour market region (Statistical Area Level 4, or SA4). For different time periods, or for other employment characteristics, refer to the detailed release. The ABS recommends using the Labour Account for headline estimates of industry jobs and/or employment, however the data set does not contain demographic characteristics, nor geographical breakdowns, so cannot be analysed by sex, age or regions. Estimates of filled jobs and multiple jobholders by industry are provided in the Labour Account.
Part-time workers
The ABS Labour Force, Australia, Detailed publication provides quarterly estimates of the number of industry workers by ranges of actual and usual hours worked (in main job), for which part-time status can be derived. The part-time rate expresses part-time employed people as a proportion of total employed by industry. Part-time work is defined as less than 35 hours per week. At February 2023, the part-time rate across all industries was about 30%. Figure 1 provides the part-time rates of selected industries in comparison to the overall rate. Across this period, accommodation and food services; retail trade; and arts and recreation services were the three industries with the highest rates of part-time workers.
Figure 1 Selected industries by proportion of part-time workers, Feb 2015 to Feb 2023 (a)
- Based on industry of a person's main job (the one in which they usually worked the most hours per week) at February of each period. Part-time is considered as less than 35 hours per week.
Source: ABS, Labour force, detailed, Australia, 2014 to 2023 [Table EQ14 and Library calculations].
The ABS also provides broad industry data by full-time or part-time employment and selected age groups. In February 2023, the part-time rates for selected age groups were:
- 76% of people aged 15–19 years
- 37% of people aged 20–24 years
- 22% of people aged 25–54 years and
- 37% of people aged 55 years or older.
Figure 2 provides an overview of part-time rates for the aforementioned age groups and selected industries. The five industries have been selected based on their high levels of part-time workers. Part-time rates for the youngest and oldest age groups have not been included for the first and fifth industries due to their relatively lower levels of part-time employment.
Figure 2 Part-time rates in selected industries by age, Feb 2023 (a)(b)
- Based on industry of a person's main job, that is, the one in which they usually worked the most hours per week. At February of each period. Part-time is less than 35 hours per week.
- Selected industries are those with the highest levels of part-time workers, this may differ to industries with the highest part-time rates.
Source: ABS, Labour force, detailed, Australia, Oct 2023 [Table EQ12 and Library calculations].
Internationally, the OECD considers people to be part-time workers if they usually work less than 30 hours per week in their main job. In 2022, the part-time employment rate for OECD-countries was just over 16% (OECD Data, 2023). Using this reduced hours measure, Australia’s part-time rate for 2022 (average of four quarters ending Nov 2022) would be around 24% instead of 30% (Labour force, Detailed, Oct 2023). For international perspectives on part-time work, the International Labour Organization (ILO) provides the following papers: In search of good quality part-time work; The diversity of “marginal” part-time employment; and a fact sheet on part-time and on-call work.
Related resources
In September 2023, The Treasury released, Working future: The Australian Government’s white paper on jobs and opportunities, which proposes the modernisation of Australia’s industries by focusing on renewable energy and technological change, as well as broadening the industrial base. For ongoing resources, Jobs and Skills Australia publishes a selection of ABS and other statistics, including:
- Jobs and Skills Atlas (interactive map and dashboard with key labour market figures)
- a quarterly Labour market update (the report covers selected industries, skills shortage, etc)
- Industry profiles (includes regional data, gender breakdown, selected age groups)
- Employment projections by industry (level of employment change) with summary highlights and charts. The most recent estimates are from May 2023 for the five years to May 2028, with additional longer run projections available on the Jobs and Skills Australia website.