Employed persons by industry
By virtue of its size and diversity, the New South Wales (NSW) workforce accounts for a significant share of national employment across all industries.
The state enjoys particular strengths in financial and insurance services, with a 42% share of national employment in 2013, as well as:
- information media and telecommunications (39%)
- the tourism-related accommodation and food services industry (35%)
- wholesale trade (34%), and
- professional, scientific and technical services (33%).
NSW also employs the most people in agriculture, forestry and fishing, with more than 91% of these workers located in regional areas.
Just under one third of the Australian workforce resides in NSW, while almost two thirds of the state's workers live in the Sydney region. Health care and social assistance is the largest employing industry in both Sydney and regional NSW, followed by:
- professional, scientific and technical services for Sydney and
- retail trade for regional NSW.
Over the last 10 years, the strongest contributions to the state's employment growth have come from the health care and social assistance, professional, scientific and technical services, and education and training industries.
| Industry1 | Sydney2 | Balance of NSW3 | Total NSW | Australia | NSW as a % of Aust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 7.6 | 81.2 | 88.8 | 317.7 | 27.9 |
| Mining | 10.6 | 37.5 | 48.1 | 268.7 | 17.9 |
| Manufacturing | 187.7 | 96.2 | 283.9 | 936.4 | 30.3 |
| Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services | 21.1 | 22.8 | 44.0 | 149.1 | 29.5 |
| Construction | 177.1 | 107.6 | 284.7 | 1,029.7 | 27.6 |
| Wholesale Trade | 110.9 | 36.2 | 147.1 | 427.7 | 34.4 |
| Retail Trade | 241.7 | 145.4 | 387.1 | 1,240.2 | 31.2 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 166.2 | 113.0 | 279.2 | 792.0 | 35.3 |
| Transport, Postal and Warehousing | 130.9 | 56.7 | 187.6 | 593.1 | 31.6 |
| Information Media and Telecommunications | 67.7 | 12.0 | 79.6 | 206.0 | 38.7 |
| Financial and Insurance Services | 152.2 | 23.5 | 175.7 | 418.6 | 42.0 |
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | 44.9 | 17.5 | 62.4 | 197.3 | 31.6 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 249.1 | 52.1 | 301.3 | 910.1 | 33.1 |
| Administrative and Support Services | 85.0 | 37.5 | 122.5 | 392.3 | 31.2 |
| Public Administration and Safety | 125.9 | 90.6 | 216.5 | 751.2 | 28.8 |
| Education and Training | 181.1 | 102.8 | 283.9 | 905.9 | 31.3 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 283.2 | 162.7 | 445.8 | 1,398.8 | 31.9 |
| Arts and Recreation Services | 54.2 | 14.9 | 69.1 | 209.6 | 33.0 |
| Other Services | 92.7 | 53.3 | 146.0 | 467.2 | 31.3 |
| Total employed | 2,389.9 | 1,263.4 | 3,653.3 | 11,611.6 | 31.5 |
Footnotes:
- Based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006
- Sydney Major Statistical Region (MSR) based on the Statistical Region structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2006
- New South Wales excluding the Sydney MSR
Four-quarter averages (year to November quarter 2013) are used to smooth volatility in the quarterly figures
Source: ABS Cat. No. 6291.0.55.003, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, November 2013