RDA Darling Downs and South West Region

Employment by industry (Total)

In the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 23,324 local jobs in 2021/22.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region. 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 the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region 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 the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region'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
RDA Darling Downs and South West Region2021/222016/17Change
IndustryNumber%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2016/17 - 2021/22
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing13,3869.32.513,51910.12.7-133
Mining4,4513.12.74,9533.72.6-502
Manufacturing11,4557.96.69,0886.86.8+2,368
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services2,9312.01.32,5091.91.2+422
Construction12,0338.39.211,0438.39.6+990
Wholesale Trade4,3713.02.63,6782.82.7+692
Retail Trade13,9769.79.312,1619.19.9+1,815
Accommodation and Food Services7,9455.56.97,7555.87.1+190
Transport, Postal and Warehousing5,9394.15.36,7795.15.4-840
Information Media and Telecommunications7870.51.11,2650.91.5-479
Financial and Insurance Services2,7511.92.72,5071.92.6+244
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services1,6481.11.91,9691.52.0-321
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services5,6964.07.46,2614.76.7-565
Administrative and Support Services3,9752.83.32,9922.23.5+983
Public Administration and Safety8,0705.66.68,4316.36.7-362
Education and Training13,5739.49.213,0379.89.3+536
Health Care and Social Assistance23,32416.215.617,99913.513.6+5,326
Arts and Recreation Services1,3110.91.51,5481.21.8-237
Other Services6,5234.54.26,0554.54.1+469
Total industries144,144100.0100.0133,548100.0100.0+10,597

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 the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region in 2021/22 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (23,324 people or 16.2%)
  • Retail Trade (13,976 people or 9.7%)
  • Education and Training (13,573 people or 9.4%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 50,873 people in total or 35.3% 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 the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region and Queensland were:

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (9.3% compared to 2.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (4.0% compared to 7.4%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Accommodation and Food Services (5.5% compared to 6.9%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Manufacturing (7.9% compared to 6.6%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region increased by 10,597 between 2016/17 and 2021/22.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+5,326 local workers)
  • Manufacturing (+2,368 local workers)
  • Retail Trade (+1,815 local workers)
  • Construction (+990 local workers)

RDA Darling Downs and South West Region

economic profile