The number of manufacturing workers in the Illawarra fell by 36 per cent in the five years to 2016, while the number of mining workers dropped by 16 per cent.
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The decline of the region’s traditional industries has been laid bare in new census data, released on Monday, which also reveals details about working hours and education.
According to 2011 census data, there were 11,858 people employed in manufacturing in the Illawarra that year.
But, just after that survey, on August 21, BlueScope announced in would shed about 1100 jobs at its Port Kembla plant.
It would be the first of many large-scale manufacturing job loss announcements over the coming five years, and by census night 2016, job numbers in the sector had tumbled by more than 4000, with only 7600 people employed.
This fall of 35.85 per cent compares to a 24 per cent drop in manufacturing jobs nationwide.
In better news for the region, the census employment figures have also emphasised the boom in construction jobs, up by more than 29 per cent between 2011 and 2016.
This compares with a jump of 9.9 per cent Australia-wide.
Jobs in health and education – which have long been top employers – are also still on the rise.
With 18,725 people in the Illawarra – which the ABS defines as being from Helensburgh to Gerringong – employed in health and social assistance (up 18 per cent from 2011) the sector is easily the biggest employer in the region.
The number of education jobs grew by more than 1500, while administrative and support services and accommodation and food services also had growth of more than 10 per cent.
Jobs in the region’s smallest sector, agriculture, forestry and fishing, were also up (by 21 per cent) to 603.
Surprisingly, given the amount of retail space which has opened across the Illawarra between the two census surveys, retail jobs were up by just 2.3 per cent or 288 jobs.
However, this was a good result for the sector (the region’s and the nation’s second-largest), which saw its Australian workforce shrink by 0.3 per cent since 2011.
Monday’s data release also shows that just under half (47%) of Illawarra residents have some type of post school qualification, with 19.9 per cent of residents holding a Bachelor degree or higher qualification.
Top industries 2016 (2011 rank)
- Health care and social assistance (1)
- Education and training (3)
- Retail trade (2)
- Construction (5)
- Accommodation and food services (6)