Sunshine Coast

Employment by industry (Total)

In Sunshine Coast, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 35,041 local jobs in 2022/23.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Sunshine Coast. 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 Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast'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
Sunshine Coast2022/232017/18Change
IndustryNumber%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2017/18 - 2022/23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing3,0361.82.42,7702.02.6+266
Mining5900.32.53840.32.5+205
Manufacturing9,5735.56.47,8715.76.9+1,702
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services1,4610.81.31,2210.91.3+240
Construction21,27212.39.719,53714.19.7+1,735
Wholesale Trade3,1341.82.52,8192.02.7+315
Retail Trade16,9009.89.115,10810.99.9+1,792
Accommodation and Food Services14,0388.16.911,6238.47.2+2,415
Transport, Postal and Warehousing5,4163.15.44,7703.45.5+646
Information Media and Telecommunications1,7731.01.01,7541.31.3+19
Financial and Insurance Services6,2773.62.74,0912.92.5+2,186
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services3,2991.91.73,0172.21.9+283
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services10,9306.37.47,7585.66.6+3,172
Administrative and Support Services5,8113.43.35,1223.73.4+689
Public Administration and Safety6,0653.56.65,4003.96.7+666
Education and Training16,5739.69.213,2339.59.2+3,340
Health Care and Social Assistance35,04120.316.223,71917.114.1+11,323
Arts and Recreation Services3,8432.21.72,9472.11.7+896
Other Services7,4654.34.15,5824.04.1+1,883
Total industries172,498100.0100.0138,726100.0100.0+33,772

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 Sunshine Coast in 2022/23 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (35,041 people or 20.3%)
  • Construction (21,272 people or 12.3%)
  • Retail Trade (16,900 people or 9.8%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 73,213 people in total or 42.4% of the local workers.

In comparison, Queensland employed 16.2% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 9.7% in Construction and 9.1% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by local workers of Sunshine Coast and Queensland were:

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Health Care and Social Assistance (20.3% compared to 16.2%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Public Administration and Safety (3.5% compared to 6.6%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Construction (12.3% compared to 9.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Transport, Postal and Warehousing (3.1% compared to 5.4%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Sunshine Coast increased by 33,772 between 2017/18 and 2022/23.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+11,323 local workers)
  • Education and Training (+3,340 local workers)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+3,172 local workers)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (+2,415 local workers)

Sunshine Coast Council

economic profile