Greater Sydney

Characteristics of the unemployed

5.1% of the resident workforce of Greater Sydney were unemployed in 2021, compared to 4.9% in New South Wales.

The local unemployed resident includes all people who are residents in the local area who are looking for part-time or full-time work. This is an important resource for the local economy, their characteristics inform us about the skills that are available locally, even if they are not currently employed in the local economy.

For an overview of unemployment levels and trends in Greater Sydney go to the Unemployment page.

Data source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2021 and 2016 – by usual residence

Current area:
Current benchmark:
reset
Characteristics of the unemployed
Greater Sydney20212016change
Namenumber%. % New South Walesnumber%. % New South Wales2016 to 2021
Key statistics
Total persons122,071100.0100.0136,103100.0100.0-14,032
Males66,99654.955.470,27051.652.9-3,274
Females55,07645.144.665,78048.347.1-10,704
Unemployment rate--5.14.9--6.06.3-0.9%
Age structure
15 - 24 years33,44827.429.143,83132.233.1-10,383
25 - 54 years69,64157.054.274,49854.752.9-4,857
55 - 64 years15,47612.713.615,34411.312.3+132
65 years and over3,4872.93.12,3911.81.8+1,096
Looking for
Full-time work70,35857.656.871,31252.455.0-954
Part-time work51,72442.443.264,76047.645.0-13,036
Qualifications
Bachelor or higher degree40,92233.526.037,51227.620.4+3,410
Advanced diploma or diploma12,69510.49.212,4329.18.2+263
Certificate level16,50113.517.718,18613.418.4-1,685
No qualifications48,69939.944.363,94247.049.6-15,243
Highest level of schooling
Year 1290,23973.962.993,13568.457.1-2,896
Year 117,0405.87.68,4336.28.2-1,393
Under Year 1022,50918.427.831,11922.932.3-8,610
Education institute attending
Not Attending84,26569.071.692,28667.870.4-8,021
University17,54414.411.622,08116.212.8-4,537
TAFE10,0018.28.08,0425.96.6+1,959
Other3,5832.92.34,2923.22.6-709
Secondary school6,2165.16.27,8835.86.3-1,667
Field of qualification
Natural and Physical Sciences3,0572.52.02,9582.21.7+99
Information Technology6,0294.93.85,3033.93.0+726
Engineering and Related Technologies8,1386.76.58,7266.46.8-588
Architecture and Building3,6053.03.12,7092.02.3+896
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies7290.61.08570.61.1-128
Health4,1323.43.54,0463.03.2+86
Education2,6952.22.22,6501.92.0+45
Management and Commerce21,76317.814.922,18416.313.5-421
Society and Culture9,6587.97.610,1607.57.1-502
Creative Arts5,5234.53.94,6863.43.0+837
Food, Hospitality and Personal Services3,9273.23.63,7812.83.2+146
Mixed Field Programmes2310.20.23410.30.2-110
Other characteristics
Speaks a language other than English at home65,60053.737.873,09353.735.5-7,493
Born overseas68,04055.740.9--------
Arrived between 2016 to 202119,94216.311.825,90019.012.9-5,958
Has child care responsibilities (own or others)29,48524.224.435,83426.327.5-6,349

Greater Sydney

economic profile