5.2% ▼ -0.1%
Higher than 58% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 5.2%
- 2016: 7.8%
- 2021: 5.2%
Unemployed people as a share of the labour force (aged 15+).
Townsville · Urban Centre
Jobs & Industry in Townsville
Work across the area — who is in the labour force, in which industries and jobs.
Fewer people have been working or looking for work in Townsville since 2011, though the area still has a very strong workforce. Around 63.2% of the population are employed full-time, which is well above the national figure. This high level of employment defines the local economy despite a slight downward trend over the last decade.
Labour force
Employment, participation and unemployment.
Working or looking for work is much more common here than in most areas, with 63.9% of adults in the labour force. Full-time employment is especially high at 63.2%, though this has fallen 3.5 points since 2011. The unemployment rate is 5.2%, which is about the same as the Queensland and Australian figures.
63.9% ▼ -4.4%
Higher than 81% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 66.9%
- 2016: 58.3%
- 2021: 63.9%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in the labour force.
63.2% ▼ -5.2%
Higher than 83% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 66.6%
- 2016: 62.3%
- 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 biggest employer in Townsville, making up 17.9% of jobs. Public administration and safety follow at 13.0%, with education and training and retail trade both accounting for around 9% of the workforce.
Occupations
The kinds of jobs people do.
One in five locals work as professionals, representing 20.2% of the workforce. Community and personal service workers make up 16.6%, while technicians and tradespeople account for 14.2% of the total.
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/ucl/UCL303003/townsville/topic/employment