Employment by Industry

At the time of the 2006 Census, retail trade was the largest employing industry in the Rockhampton Regional Council area, accounting for 6,475 (16.7 per cent) of the region’s employed workforce (Table 4). Other significant industries included health and community services (12.7 per cent), education (10.9 per cent) and manufacturing (9.3 per cent).

Table 1              Employed persons (a)(b) by industry, Rockhampton Regional Council area and Queensland, 2006

Industry (c) Rockhampton Regional Council area Queensland Region as a proportion of Queensland
number % number % %
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1,079 2.8 60,419 3.5 1.8
Mining 278 0.7 28,853 1.7 1.0
Manufacturing 3,618 9.3 179,500 10.3 2.0
Electricity, gas and water supply 1,035 2.7 14,692 0.8 7.0
Construction 2,496 6.4 153,600 8.8 1.6
Wholesale trade 1,632 4.2 78,953 4.5 2.1
Retail trade 6,475 16.7 259,770 14.9 2.5
Accommodation, cafes and restaurants 2,216 5.7 91,665 5.3 2.4
Transport and storage 2,144 5.5 84,674 4.9 2.5
Communication services 326 0.8 21,223 1.2 1.5
Finance and insurance 875 2.3 51,033 2.9 1.7
Property and business services 2,751 7.1 177,515 10.2 1.5
Government administration and defence 2,100 5.4 96,306 5.5 2.2
Education 4,233 10.9 132,240 7.6 3.2
Health and community services 4,910 12.7 184,887 10.6 2.7
Cultural and recreational services 578 1.5 35,493 2.0 1.6
Personal and other services 1,633 4.2 62,908 3.6 2.6
Non-classifiable economic units 341 0.9 21,722 1.3 1.6
Not stated 27 0.1 2,165 0.1 1.2
Total 38,747 100.0 1,737,618 100.0 2.2

(a) Based on location of workplace.
(b) Aged 15 years and over.
(c) Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 1993.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2006.

Government administration and defence experienced the highest percentage growth of employed persons by industry between 2001 and 2006 at 41.7 per cent (Figure 9), followed by electricity, gas and water supply (33.7 per cent), construction (28.1 per cent) and mining (25.2 per cent). Persons employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing experienced the largest decline (–23.9 per cent). Between 2001 and 2006, health and community services had the greatest increase in the number of persons employed of all industries (707 persons). Agriculture, forestry and fishing had the largest decrease in persons employed of all industries (–338 persons).

Figure 2             Percentage change in employed persons (a)(b) by industry (c), Rockhampton Regional Council area, 2001 and 2006

(a) Based on location of workplace.
(b) Aged 15 years and over.
(c) Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 1993.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2001 and 2006.