Jobs Australia 2014: Where Are the Jobs in New South Wales?

New South Wales has the largest workforce with almost one in three Australians living and working in the state. Over the five years to November 2013, employment rose by 206,500 or six per cent, slightly below the national growth rate of 6.5 per cent.

Around two thirds of the state’s employment is concentrated in Sydney. Outside of Sydney, the largest number of workers live in Newcastle (272,300).

New South Wales’s employment profile is very similar to Australia as a whole. It is notable, though, that workers in this state are two per cent more likely to have studied after leaving school than the national average. They are also two per cent more likely to have a bachelor degree.

The report notes that 14 of 19 industries experienced jobs growth.

Notable changes from 2013 report:

Rental, hiring and real estate services was in decline in the 2013 report but has enjoyed a 16.5 per cent increase in employment in this year’s report.

Mining growth has halved.

Manufacturing has gone from a 1.1 per cent reduction to a 12.1 per cent wipe out.

Information, media and telecommunications has nosedived from 23.7 per cent growth last year to a decline of 19.3 per cent this year.

Where are the jobs?

 Largest employing industries:

• Health care and social assistance (450,700)
• Retail (396,300)
• Professional, scientific and technical services (301,700)

 Fastest growing industries:

• Mining (up by 55 per cent)
• Health care and social assistance (27 per cent)
• Electricity, gas, water and waste services (20.7 per cent)

Largest number of new jobs created:

• Health care and social assistance (+95,400)
• Education and training (+42,500)
• Accommodation and food services (+31,600)

Largest job losses:

• Manufacturing (-36,300)
• Information, media and telecommunications (-16,900)
• Transport and postal (-10,900)
• Construction (-13,100 – although the sector reported strong growth in the year to November 2013)

Where’s my competition?

Highest proportion of older workers:

Illawarra (50 per cent), Hunter (48 per cent) and Richmond-Tweed and mid-North Coast (48 per cent).

Lowest proportion of older workers: 

Sydney (35 per cent), Wollongong (38 per cent) and Far West (39 per cent)

Highest proportion without a post-school qualification:

Wollongong (43 per cent) and the Far West (42 per cent)