Sunshine Coast

Employment by industry (Total)

In Sunshine Coast, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 38,059 local jobs in 2023/24.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Sunshine Coast. The statistics are modelled by NIEIR to correct for the known undercount of jobs recorded in the Census. They estimate the total number of persons employed in an industry sector (full-time and part-time) in Sunshine Coast regardless of where they live. They are updated annually.

By comparing the number of jobs in each industry sector to a regional benchmark, you can clearly see the structure of Sunshine Coast's economy. This can be done by directly comparing the area to its benchmark, or by using a location quotient to look at the relative size of industries.

Estimated total employment by industry should not be considered as a "Full-Time Equivalent" measure as different industries will have different ratios of part-time and full time employees. Full-time employment by industry statistics are also available.

To see how employment is distributed across the area, see the Employment locations section and to see where people come from to work in these industries, these data should be viewed in conjunction with Workers place of residence by industry data.

More granular sub-categories for each industry sector are available in the Employment by industry (Census) counts. While Census figures undercount employment they do provide a more detailed picture of the specific industries operating in the area.

Data source

National Economics (NIEIR) - Modelled series

Please note – Detailed notes about how the figures are derived can be found in the specific topic notes section.
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Employment (total) by industry
Sunshine Coast2023/242018/19Change
IndustryNumber%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2018/19 - 2023/24
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing3,0041.72.43,1742.22.7-170
Mining6450.42.54040.32.6+241
Manufacturing10,0285.56.38,0385.66.9+1,991
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services1,4510.81.31,3010.91.3+150
Construction21,08711.69.819,19313.39.6+1,895
Wholesale Trade3,1371.72.43,1462.22.9-10
Retail Trade18,41810.19.014,91810.49.5+3,501
Accommodation and Food Services14,9988.26.912,4298.67.3+2,569
Transport, Postal and Warehousing7,1393.95.54,8593.45.4+2,279
Information Media and Telecommunications1,7531.01.11,9181.31.3-165
Financial and Insurance Services6,3883.52.64,2232.92.5+2,165
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services3,5011.91.73,1392.21.8+361
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services11,5966.47.58,2655.76.7+3,331
Administrative and Support Services6,3953.53.25,2083.63.5+1,187
Public Administration and Safety6,3163.56.75,6143.96.8+702
Education and Training16,0428.89.114,0309.79.2+2,012
Health Care and Social Assistance38,05920.916.425,19317.514.3+12,866
Arts and Recreation Services3,5992.01.73,2272.21.7+372
Other Services8,3754.63.95,8314.04.0+2,544
Total industries181,931100.0100.0144,109100.0100.0+37,822

Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2025. Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id (informed decisions). NIEIR-ID data are adjusted each year, using updated employment estimates. Each release may change previous years’ figures. Learn more

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Did you know? By clicking/tapping on a category in the chart below you will be able to drilldown to the sub categories.
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Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the local workers in Sunshine Coast in 2023/24 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (38,059 people or 20.9%)
  • Construction (21,087 people or 11.6%)
  • Retail Trade (18,418 people or 10.1%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 77,565 people in total or 42.6% of the local workers.

In comparison, Queensland employed 16.4% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 9.8% in Construction and 9.0% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by local workers of Sunshine Coast and Queensland were:

  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Health Care and Social Assistance (20.9% compared to 16.4%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Public Administration and Safety (3.5% compared to 6.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Mining (0.4% compared to 2.5%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Construction (11.6% compared to 9.8%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Sunshine Coast increased by 37,822 between 2018/19 and 2023/24.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+12,866 local workers)
  • Retail Trade (+3,501 local workers)
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (+3,331 local workers)
  • Accommodation and Food Services (+2,569 local workers)

Sunshine Coast Council

economic profile