Greater Sydney

Employment by industry (Total)

In Greater Sydney, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 365,930 local jobs in 2022/23.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Greater Sydney. 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 Greater Sydney 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 Greater Sydney'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.
Current area:
Current benchmark:
Comparison year:
reset
Did you know? By clicking/tapping on a data row in the table you will be able to see sub categories.
Employment (total) by industry
Greater Sydney2022/232017/18Change
IndustryNumber%. New South WalesNumber%. New South Wales2017/18 - 2022/23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing11,2940.41.910,0310.42.1+1,263
Mining7,6700.31.08,1890.31.1-519
Manufacturing160,5995.85.9182,9227.07.0-22,323
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services26,2751.01.123,1930.91.0+3,081
Construction217,6137.99.5239,1289.29.4-21,515
Wholesale Trade99,9893.63.0104,6034.03.4-4,615
Retail Trade251,7709.19.4233,9619.09.7+17,809
Accommodation and Food Services153,0365.56.5155,2576.06.7-2,221
Transport, Postal and Warehousing164,4726.05.2150,8675.85.3+13,606
Information Media and Telecommunications80,2202.92.186,0763.32.5-5,856
Financial and Insurance Services202,7987.35.4166,2106.44.9+36,588
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services53,3711.91.750,7052.01.8+2,665
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services360,44513.010.0308,83311.99.5+51,612
Administrative and Support Services86,3233.13.184,2243.23.2+2,099
Public Administration and Safety166,2286.06.0136,8955.35.5+29,333
Education and Training221,0858.08.3212,0288.28.4+9,057
Health Care and Social Assistance365,93013.214.8305,44911.813.1+60,481
Arts and Recreation Services46,2711.71.647,9661.81.8-1,695
Other Services87,6363.23.588,6603.43.7-1,024
Total industries2,763,025100.0100.02,595,199100.0100.0+167,826

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.
loading animation
loading animation

Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the local workers in Greater Sydney in 2022/23 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (365,930 people or 13.2%)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (360,445 people or 13.0%)
  • Retail Trade (251,770 people or 9.1%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 978,146 people in total or 35.4% of the local workers.

In comparison, New South Wales employed 14.8% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 10.0% in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and 9.4% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by local workers of Greater Sydney and New South Wales were:

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (13.0% compared to 10.0%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Financial and Insurance Services (7.3% compared to 5.4%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Construction (7.9% compared to 9.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Health Care and Social Assistance (13.2% compared to 14.8%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Greater Sydney increased by 167,826 between 2017/18 and 2022/23.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+60,481 local workers)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+51,612 local workers)
  • Financial and Insurance Services (+36,588 local workers)
  • Public Administration and Safety (+29,333 local workers)

Greater Sydney

economic profile