Canberra Region

Employment by industry (Total)

In the Canberra Region, Construction is the largest employer, generating 23,603 local jobs in 2022/23.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in the Canberra Region. 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 the Canberra Region 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 the Canberra Region'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
Canberra Region2022/232017/18Change
IndustryNumber%. NSWNumber%. NSW2017/18 - 2022/23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing8,8136.31.99,6388.52.1-825
Mining9110.71.07430.71.1+168
Manufacturing8,2565.95.98,0577.17.0+199
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services2,0041.41.11,5661.41.0+438
Construction23,60317.09.511,85110.49.4+11,753
Wholesale Trade2,4551.83.02,5302.23.4-76
Retail Trade14,03210.19.412,13710.79.7+1,895
Accommodation and Food Services13,3429.66.511,78710.46.7+1,554
Transport, Postal and Warehousing5,0853.75.24,5534.05.3+533
Information Media and Telecommunications8840.62.11,0040.92.5-120
Financial and Insurance Services1,4801.15.41,2731.14.9+207
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services1,7981.31.71,6151.41.8+183
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services6,0934.410.04,9944.49.5+1,099
Administrative and Support Services4,4183.23.13,6133.23.2+805
Public Administration and Safety8,6766.26.07,2046.35.5+1,472
Education and Training10,6637.78.39,1728.18.4+1,492
Health Care and Social Assistance18,15713.114.814,79813.013.1+3,359
Arts and Recreation Services2,7081.91.62,4982.21.8+210
Other Services5,5034.03.54,6864.13.7+817
Total industries138,883100.0100.0113,722100.0100.0+25,161

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
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Dominant groups

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

  • Construction (23,603 people or 17.0%)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (18,157 people or 13.1%)
  • Retail Trade (14,032 people or 10.1%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 55,793 people in total or 40.2% of the local workers.

In comparison, NSW employed 9.5% in Construction; 14.8% in Health Care and Social Assistance and 9.4% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by local workers of the Canberra Region and NSW were:

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Construction (17.0% compared to 9.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (4.4% compared to 10.0%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (6.3% compared to 1.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Financial and Insurance Services (1.1% compared to 5.4%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in the Canberra Region increased by 25,161 between 2017/18 and 2022/23.

  • Construction (+11,753 local workers)
  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+3,359 local workers)
  • Retail Trade (+1,895 local workers)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (+1,554 local workers)

Canberra Region Joint Organisation area

economic profile