Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

EMPLOYMENT

During 2006 the majority of the Northern Territory's workforce were found in the Public Administration and Safety industry (22% of the employed population), which includes government administration, justice, police, emergency services, and defence. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry was the next largest workforce with 10% of the employed population, increasing from 8.8% in 2001. Education and Training also increased from 7.9% of the employed population in 2001 to 9% in 2006. There has been a decrease in the Retail Trade industry from 11.9% of the employed workforce in 2001 to 9% in 2006.

It is interesting to note that even though a large portion of the rise in median income between 2001 and 2006 has been attributed to persons employed in the mining sector, only 2% of the NT workforce was employed in this industry, a decrease from 2.4% in 2001.

In 2006, Professionals (18%) was the most common occupation in the Northern Territory, followed by Technician and Trades Worker (15%) and Clerical and Administrative worker (15%). Labourers (12%) and Managers (12%) were also in the top five occupations in the NT.

In the period from December quarter 2005 to December quarter 2006 all Statistical Subdivisions (SSD) in the Northern Territory experienced a fall in unemployment rate. The lowest unemployment rate was in the SSD of Darwin (2.5%), whilst the highest observed unemployment rate was in the SSD of Daly (15.4%).

Further information on employment in the Northern Territory can be found from the following sources:

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Labour Force, Australia, August 2007 (cat. no. 6202.0)

Census Tables (cat. no. 2068.0)