There are more resident workers (All industries) Professionals in Cairns than any other occupation.
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 Cairns'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 2011 and 2016 – by usual residence
| Resident workers occupations | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | 2016 | 2011 | Change | ||||||
| Occupations (Click rows to view sub-categories) | Number | % | Retail Trade | Number | % | Retail Trade | 2011 - 2016 | ||
| Managers | 7,929 | 10.9 | 15.3 | 7,766 | 11.2 | 17.2 | +163 | ||
| Professionals | 13,936 | 19.2 | 2.9 | 12,283 | 17.7 | 2.6 | +1,653 | ||
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 10,826 | 15.0 | 6.1 | 10,987 | 15.9 | 6.2 | -161 | ||
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 9,951 | 13.7 | 0.9 | 8,379 | 12.1 | 0.9 | +1,572 | ||
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 9,545 | 13.2 | 5.4 | 10,018 | 14.5 | 6.8 | -473 | ||
| Sales Workers | 7,767 | 10.7 | 57.9 | 7,571 | 10.9 | 54.9 | +196 | ||
| Machinery Operators And Drivers | 4,087 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 4,069 | 5.9 | 3.0 | +18 | ||
| Labourers | 7,138 | 9.9 | 7.8 | 6,858 | 9.9 | 7.7 | +280 | ||
| Inadequately described or not stated | 1,232 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1,277 | 1.8 | 0.7 | -45 | ||
| Total Persons | 72,411 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 69,208 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +3,203 | ||
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id the population experts | |||||||||
Dominant groups
An analysis of the jobs held by the resident workers in Cairns in 2016 shows the three most popular occupations were:
- Professionals (13,936 people or 19.2%)
- Technicians and Trades Workers (10,826 people or 15.0%)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (9,951 people or 13.7%)
In combination these three occupations accounted for 34,713 people in total or 47.9% of the resident workers (All industries).
In comparison, the Retail Trade workforce in Cairns employed 2.9% in Professionals; 6.1% in Technicians and Trades Workers and 0.9% in Community and Personal Service Workers.
The major differences between the jobs held by the resident workers (All industries) of Cairns and Retail Trade were:
- A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Sales Workers (10.7% compared to 57.9%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Professionals (19.2% compared to 2.9%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Community and Personal Service Workers (13.7% compared to 0.9%)
- A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) employed as Technicians and Trades Workers (15.0% compared to 6.1%)
Emerging groups
The number of resident workers (All industries) in Cairns increased by 3,203 between 2011 and 2016.
The largest change in the occupations of the resident workers between 2011 and 2016 in Cairns were those employed as:
- Professionals (+1,653 persons)
- Community and Personal Service Workers (+1,572 persons)
- Clerical and Administrative Workers (-473 persons)
- Labourers (+280 persons)