Toowoomba

Employment by industry (Total)

In Toowoomba, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 17,521 local jobs in 2022/23.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Toowoomba. 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 Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba'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
Toowoomba2022/232017/18Change
IndustryNumber%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2017/18 - 2022/23
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing6,0786.52.44,7605.72.6+1,318
Mining2,2102.42.52,0782.52.5+132
Manufacturing6,6047.16.46,1807.46.9+424
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services1,2311.31.31,1061.31.3+124
Construction9,1919.99.77,2928.79.7+1,899
Wholesale Trade2,4002.62.52,3702.82.7+30
Retail Trade8,0208.69.17,9789.59.9+42
Accommodation and Food Services5,5155.96.95,6586.77.2-143
Transport, Postal and Warehousing4,3454.75.43,9864.85.5+359
Information Media and Telecommunications6580.71.05990.71.3+59
Financial and Insurance Services2,3712.52.72,1092.52.5+262
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services1,0081.11.71,1421.41.9-134
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services4,2824.67.44,0584.86.6+224
Administrative and Support Services2,1532.33.31,8982.33.4+255
Public Administration and Safety5,1415.56.65,5206.66.7-379
Education and Training9,51510.29.28,84410.59.2+672
Health Care and Social Assistance17,52118.816.213,91116.614.1+3,610
Arts and Recreation Services1,2481.31.78791.01.7+368
Other Services3,7164.04.13,4604.14.1+256
Total industries93,206100.0100.083,828100.0100.0+9,379

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 Toowoomba in 2022/23 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (17,521 people or 18.8%)
  • Education and Training (9,515 people or 10.2%)
  • Construction (9,191 people or 9.9%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 36,227 people in total or 38.9% of the local workers.

In comparison, Queensland employed 16.2% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 9.2% in Education and Training and 9.7% in Construction.

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

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (6.5% compared to 2.4%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (4.6% compared to 7.4%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Health Care and Social Assistance (18.8% compared to 16.2%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Public Administration and Safety (5.5% compared to 6.6%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Toowoomba increased by 9,379 between 2017/18 and 2022/23.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+3,610 local workers)
  • Construction (+1,899 local workers)
  • Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (+1,318 local workers)
  • Education and Training (+672 local workers)

Toowoomba Regional Council

economic profile