Occupations are a key component in evaluating the knowledge, experience and skill-levels that industry can draw upon locally. It should be viewed with other indicators, such as Age structure, Qualifications, and Income for a comprehensive analysis of Toowoomba's local resident workers.
When comparing the occupations of local resident workers with local workers, Occupation data indicates whether an economy draws on the skills offered by its own residents or relies on a different set of skills imported from elsewhere in the region.
Data source
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 and 2021 – by usual residence
Current area:
Select industry:
Current benchmark:
Sex:
| Resident workers occupations | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toowoomba | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||||
| Occupations (Click rows to view sub-categories) | Number | % | Queensland | Number | % | Queensland | 2016 - 2021 | ||
| Managers | 9,522 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 8,854 | 12.4 | 12.1 | +668 | ||
| Professionals | 15,662 | 19.7 | 21.4 | 13,271 | 18.6 | 19.8 | +2,391 | ||
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 11,495 | 14.5 | 13.7 | 10,757 | 15.1 | 14.3 | +738 | ||
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 10,681 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 7,918 | 11.1 | 11.3 | +2,763 | ||
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 9,879 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 9,501 | 13.3 | 13.6 | +378 | ||
| Sales Workers | 6,677 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 6,435 | 9.0 | 9.7 | +242 | ||
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 5,087 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 4,888 | 6.9 | 6.9 | +199 | ||
| Labourers | 9,171 | 11.5 | 10.1 | 8,659 | 12.2 | 10.5 | +512 | ||
| Inadequately described or not stated | 1,328 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 911 | 1.3 | 1.6 | +417 | ||
| Total Persons | 79,502 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 71,194 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +8,308 | ||
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions) | |||||||||
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the resident workers in Toowoomba in 2021shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (15,662 people or 19.7%)
- Technicians and Trades Workers (11,495 people or 14.5%)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (10,681 people or 13.4%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 37,838 people in total or 47.6% of the resident workers (All industries).
In comparison, Queensland employed 21.4% in Professionals; 13.7% in Technicians and Trades Workers and 12.3% in Community and Personal Service Workers.
The major differences between the jobs held by the resident workers (All industries) of Toowoomba and Queensland were:
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Professionals (19.7% compared to 21.4%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Labourers (11.5% compared to 10.1%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Community and Personal Service Workers (13.4% compared to 12.3%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Technicians and Trades Workers (14.5% compared to 13.7%)
Emerging groups
The number of resident workers (All industries) in Toowoomba increased by 8,308 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest change in the occupations of the resident workers between 2016 and 2021 in Toowoomba were those employed as:
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+2,763 persons)
- Professionals (+2,391 persons)
- Technicians and Trades Workers (+738 persons)
- Managers (+668 persons)