Cairns

Employment by industry (Total)

In Cairns, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 15,973 local jobs in 2021/22.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Cairns. The statistics are modelled by NIEIR to correct for the known undercount of jobs recorded in the Census. They estimate the total number of persons employed in an industry sector (full-time and part-time) in Cairns regardless of where they live. They are updated annually.

By comparing the number of jobs in each industry sector to a regional benchmark, you can clearly see the structure of Cairns's economy. This can be done by directly comparing the area to its benchmark, or by using a location quotient to look at the relative size of industries.

Estimated total employment by industry should not be considered as a "Full-Time Equivalent" measure as different industries will have different ratios of part-time and full time employees. Full-time employment by industry statistics are also available.

To see how employment is distributed across the area, see the Employment locations section and to see where people come from to work in these industries, these data should be viewed in conjunction with Workers place of residence by industry data.

More granular sub-categories for each industry sector are available in the Employment by industry (Census) counts. While Census figures undercount employment they do provide a more detailed picture of the specific industries operating in the area.

Data source

National Economics (NIEIR) - Modelled series

Please note – Detailed notes about how the figures are derived can be found in the specific topic notes section.
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Employment (total) by industry
Cairns2021/222016/17Change
IndustryNumber%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2016/17 - 2021/22
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing1,2311.42.51,3881.82.7-157
Mining5230.62.73170.42.6+206
Manufacturing3,1903.86.63,8515.06.8-661
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services1,0401.21.37931.01.2+247
Construction7,2958.69.26,1838.09.6+1,112
Wholesale Trade1,8712.22.61,7312.32.7+140
Retail Trade8,68510.29.38,20010.79.9+485
Accommodation and Food Services8,1129.66.97,4039.67.1+709
Transport, Postal and Warehousing5,1746.15.35,0806.65.4+94
Information Media and Telecommunications7210.81.11,0141.31.5-294
Financial and Insurance Services1,1571.42.71,3811.82.6-224
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services1,4671.71.91,4851.92.0-19
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services4,9495.87.43,7574.96.7+1,192
Administrative and Support Services2,9463.53.33,3364.33.5-390
Public Administration and Safety6,9048.16.66,2798.26.7+625
Education and Training8,4189.99.27,87910.29.3+539
Health Care and Social Assistance15,97318.815.611,89715.513.6+4,076
Arts and Recreation Services1,3881.61.51,6082.11.8-220
Other Services3,8644.64.23,3414.34.1+523
Total industries84,907100.0100.076,923100.0100.0+7,984

Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2023. Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id (informed decisions). NIEIR-ID data are adjusted each year, using updated employment estimates. Each release may change previous years’ figures. Learn more

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Did you know? By clicking/tapping on a category in the chart below you will be able to drilldown to the sub categories.
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Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the local workers in Cairns in 2021/22 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (15,973 people or 18.8%)
  • Retail Trade (8,685 people or 10.2%)
  • Education and Training (8,418 people or 9.9%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 33,076 people in total or 39.0% of the local workers.

In comparison, Queensland employed 15.6% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 9.3% in Retail Trade and 9.2% in Education and Training.

The major differences between the jobs held by local workers of Cairns and Queensland were:

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Health Care and Social Assistance (18.8% compared to 15.6%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Manufacturing (3.8% compared to 6.6%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Accommodation and Food Services (9.6% compared to 6.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Mining (0.6% compared to 2.7%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Cairns increased by 7,984 between 2016/17 and 2021/22.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+4,076 local workers)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+1,192 local workers)
  • Construction (+1,112 local workers)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (+709 local workers)

Cairns Regional Council

economic profile