5.1% ▼ -8.8%
Higher than 57% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 5.6%
- 2016: 6.8%
- 2021: 5.1%
Unemployed people as a share of the labour force (aged 15+).
Townsville · Urban Area
Jobs & Industry in Townsville
Work across the area — who is in the labour force, in which industries and jobs.
A growing number of people are working or looking for work in Townsville, with the rate rising 7.2 percentage points since 2011. This shift is led by a strong full-time workforce, where 63.2% of residents hold full-time roles. This is well above the national figure and represents a significant increase in employment stability over the last decade.
Labour force
Employment, participation and unemployment.
The share of adults working or looking for work is 64.1%, which is much higher than most similar areas. While unemployment is 5.1% and sits about the same as the national figure, full-time employment is well above both the state and national averages.
64.1% ▲ +12.6%
Higher than 85% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 57.0%
- 2016: 53.9%
- 2021: 64.1%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in the labour force.
63.2% ▲ +5.7%
Higher than 86% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 59.8%
- 2016: 59.1%
- 2021: 63.2%
Share of employed people who worked full-time.
Industries
The industries that employ local workers.
Health care and social assistance is the largest employer in Townsville, accounting for 17.8% of the workforce. Public administration and safety follow at 12.9%, while education and training employ 9.5% of residents.
Occupations
The kinds of jobs people do.
Professional roles are the most common occupation at 20.0%, followed by community and personal service workers at 16.5%. Technicians and tradespeople make up 14.4% of the local workforce.
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Townsville
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Jobs & Industry in Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/3017/townsville/topic/employment