Industry sector data identifies the industries in which the residents of an area work either within the residing area or elsewhere. Comparing the industry sectors in which the City of Sydney residents are employed in the industry sectors that are located in the City of Sydney, indicates whether an economy draws on the skills offered by its own residents, or on a different set of skills imported from elsewhere in the region.
Industry sector statistics in the City of Sydney are influenced by a range of factors including:
- The economic base and employment opportunities available within commuting distance;
- The educational levels of the local population; and
- The working and social aspirations of the local population.
Industry sector data should be viewed in conjunction with Residents place of work.
Data source
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2011 and 2016 – by usual residence
Current benchmark:
Gender:
Resident workers industry of employment | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City of Sydney - Persons | 2016 | 2011 | Change | ||||||
Industry (Click rows to view sub-categories) | Number | % | New South Wales | Number | % | New South Wales | 2011 - 2016 | ||
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 194 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 105 | 0.1 | 2.1 | +89 | ||
Mining | 202 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 186 | 0.2 | 0.9 | +16 | ||
Manufacturing | 2,868 | 2.4 | 5.8 | 3,476 | 3.4 | 7.9 | -608 | ||
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services | 487 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 441 | 0.4 | 1.0 | +46 | ||
Construction | 4,318 | 3.7 | 8.4 | 2,999 | 2.9 | 6.9 | +1,319 | ||
Wholesale Trade | 2,829 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3,682 | 3.6 | 4.2 | -853 | ||
Retail Trade | 8,441 | 7.2 | 9.7 | 7,304 | 7.1 | 9.7 | +1,137 | ||
Accommodation and Food Services | 14,166 | 12.1 | 7.1 | 9,700 | 9.4 | 6.3 | +4,466 | ||
Transport, Postal and Warehousing | 3,532 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 3,029 | 2.9 | 4.6 | +503 | ||
Information Media and Telecommunications | 5,829 | 5.0 | 2.2 | 5,952 | 5.8 | 2.2 | -123 | ||
Financial and Insurance Services | 10,296 | 8.8 | 4.9 | 9,780 | 9.5 | 4.8 | +516 | ||
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | 2,494 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1,769 | 1.7 | 1.5 | +725 | ||
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 19,487 | 16.6 | 8.1 | 16,212 | 15.8 | 7.4 | +3,275 | ||
Administrative and Support Services | 5,019 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4,285 | 4.2 | 3.1 | +734 | ||
Public Administration and Safety | 6,744 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 5,464 | 5.3 | 5.8 | +1,280 | ||
Education and Training | 8,729 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 7,035 | 6.8 | 7.5 | +1,694 | ||
Health Care and Social Assistance | 9,642 | 8.2 | 12.5 | 7,641 | 7.4 | 10.9 | +2,001 | ||
Arts and Recreation Services | 3,402 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 2,907 | 2.8 | 1.4 | +495 | ||
Other Services | 3,229 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 2,666 | 2.6 | 3.5 | +563 | ||
Industry not classified | 5,352 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 2,164 | 2.1 | 2.3 | +3,188 | ||
Total Persons | 117,260 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 96,797 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +20,463 | ||
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions) |


Dominant groups
Analysis of the jobs held by the resident workforce in the City of Sydney in 2016 shows the three most popular industry sectors were:
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (19,487 people or 16.6%)
- Accommodation and Food Services (14,166 people or 12.1%)
- Financial and Insurance Services (10,296 people or 8.8%)
In combination these three industries employed 43,949 people in total or 37.5% of the total resident workforce.
In comparison, New South Wales employed 8.1% in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; 7.1% in Accommodation and Food Services and 4.9% in Financial and Insurance Services.
The major differences between the jobs held by the resident workforce of the City of Sydney and New South Wales were:
- A larger percentage of resident workforce employed in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (16.6% compared to 8.1%)
- A larger percentage of resident workforce employed in Accommodation and Food Services (12.1% compared to 7.1%)
- A smaller percentage of resident workforce employed in Construction (3.7% compared to 8.4%)
- A smaller percentage of resident workforce employed in Health Care and Social Assistance (8.2% compared to 12.5%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the jobs held by the resident workforce between 2011 and 2016 in the City of Sydney were for those employed in:
- Accommodation and Food Services (+4,466 resident workforce)
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+3,275 resident workforce)
- Industry not classified (+3,188 resident workforce)
- Health Care and Social Assistance (+2,001 resident workforce)