5.8% ▲ +139.8%
Higher than 77% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 2.4%
- 2016: 5.6%
- 2021: 5.8%
Unemployed people as a share of the labour force (aged 15+).
Cairns · Urban Area
Jobs & Industry in Cairns
Work across the area — who is in the labour force, in which industries and jobs.
A sharp 14 percentage point drop in full-time employment since 2011 defines the changing workforce in Cairns. While the area's unemployment rate has risen to 5.8%, it remains a place where more adults are working or looking for work than in most similar areas.
Labour force
Employment, participation and unemployment.
About 62.6% of adults are working or looking for work, which is a little above the national figure. However, the unemployment rate is much higher than most areas, having risen 3.4 points since 2011.
62.6% ▼ -18.1%
Higher than 78% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 76.4%
- 2016: 70.4%
- 2021: 62.6%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in the labour force.
58.2% ▼ -19.2%
Higher than 55% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 72.0%
- 2016: 66.8%
- 2021: 58.2%
Share of employed people who worked full-time.
Industries
The industries that employ local workers.
Health care and social assistance is the biggest employer at 18.4%, followed by accommodation and food services at 10.3% and retail trade at 9.8%.
Occupations
The kinds of jobs people do.
Professionals make up the largest group of workers at 20.9%, while community and personal service workers account for 15.1% of the workforce.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Cairns
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Jobs & Industry in Cairns [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/3004/cairns/topic/employment