Journey to Work (workers) data shows where the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region's local workers come from and how far they are travelling to access employment in the area.

This shows the degree to which the local economy draws on the wider region to supply labour for its industries. It is also useful in planning and advocacy for roads and public transport provision.

The distance and direction travelled by workers in different industry sectors may be influenced by the nature of employment opportunities (higher paid, high value employment may draw people from a wider area); the skill level required (jobs requiring tertiary qualifications will draw more workers from areas with high qualification levels among the residents) the number of jobs available in the industry sector (sectors with more opportunities may have a wider catchment); transport options available and commuting times to the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region.

Workers place of residence data should be viewed alongside Self-sufficiency and Jobs to workers ratio datasets for a summary of local employment opportunity by industry, as well as modelled Employment by industry (Total) numbers and Employment locations to understand the relative size of each industry sector and its distribution across the RDA Darling Downs and South West Region. To analyse the characteristics of local workers in each industry, go to the Local workers section.