Whitsunday

Employment by industry (Total)

In Whitsunday, Accommodation and Food Services is the largest employer, generating 3,105 local jobs in 2021/22.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Whitsunday. 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 Whitsunday 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 Whitsunday'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
Whitsunday2021/222016/17Change
IndustryNumber%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2016/17 - 2021/22
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing1,5488.32.51,5899.32.7-41
Mining1,5118.12.71,0766.32.6+436
Manufacturing7464.06.67904.66.8-44
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services1791.01.31230.71.2+56
Construction1,95410.59.21,6669.89.6+288
Wholesale Trade3431.82.63352.02.7+8
Retail Trade1,7319.39.31,71710.19.9+14
Accommodation and Food Services3,10516.66.92,63015.47.1+475
Transport, Postal and Warehousing1,2586.75.31,3247.85.4-66
Information Media and Telecommunications1540.81.1910.51.5+62
Financial and Insurance Services1740.92.71450.82.6+30
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services2791.51.92741.62.0+5
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services6173.37.46123.66.7+5
Administrative and Support Services8404.53.37994.73.5+41
Public Administration and Safety6583.56.65563.36.7+102
Education and Training1,1586.29.21,1947.09.3-36
Health Care and Social Assistance1,5748.415.61,2677.413.6+307
Arts and Recreation Services1490.81.51881.11.8-39
Other Services7023.84.26693.94.1+33
Total industries18,680100.0100.017,047100.0100.0+1,633

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 Whitsunday in 2021/22 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Accommodation and Food Services (3,105 people or 16.6%)
  • Construction (1,954 people or 10.5%)
  • Retail Trade (1,731 people or 9.3%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 6,790 people in total or 36.3% of the local workers.

In comparison, Queensland employed 6.9% in Accommodation and Food Services; 9.2% in Construction and 9.3% in Retail Trade.

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

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Accommodation and Food Services (16.6% compared to 6.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Health Care and Social Assistance (8.4% compared to 15.6%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (8.3% compared to 2.5%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Mining (8.1% compared to 2.7%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Whitsunday increased by 1,633 between 2016/17 and 2021/22.

  • Accommodation and Food Services (+475 local workers)
  • Mining (+436 local workers)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+307 local workers)
  • Construction (+288 local workers)

Whitsunday Regional Council

economic profile