Page 90 - Tropic Magazine Issue 13
P. 90
ECONOMY • ANALYSIS
Total employed by sector
Ups and downs 13,800
Conus economist 19,000 down 1000
since 2014
Pete Faulkner
looks at the top 6 up 7000 RETAIL TRADE
employing industries since 2014 This is obviously (in Cairns at least) a
in Cairns. sector very much driven by tourism
HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL and as a result closely follows
Over the past four ASSISTANCE the fortunes of that industry. The
years, total employment This sector has been the big growth shift to online shopping has had
in Cairns is up by area for the region, and will continue disproportionately large impacts
almost 6000. Despite to be with the roll-out of the NDIS. in regional areas and Cairns
perceptions of a strong Growth in these sectors are reflected is no exception. Despite some
tourism industry across the state and nation. Over improvements in the past couple of
and the recent flurry the past four years, this sector’s years as tourism has picked up, the
employment has grown by about
of construction 7000 in the Cairns region. sector remains well below the levels
activity related to the seen pre-GFC. Over the past four
Crystalbrook Collection years, employment in the sector is
down a little less than 1000.
projects, what we can 9,700
clearly see is most of the
growth in employment
has essentially come up 1000 9,600
since 2014
from the health sector.
All other top six sectors down 1000
almost exactly cancel ACCOMMODATION & FOOD since 2014
each other out! Another key sector driven by tourism.
Here, despite improvements in
If the region is to tourism, there has been precious little CONSTRUCTION
prosper, we obviously improvement in employment of late. The sector has been on a decade-
need a second wave of Over the past four years, employment long trend decline. The recent
investment but also a has risen by a little more than 1000. upswing in perception (due to cranes
diversification away Taken together with retail, there’s been on the skyline) has not been reflected
from our reliance on virtually no increase in employment in employment. The reason is likely to
tourism. This is already in the two sectors mainly aligned with be the fact that residential building
happening as health and tourism. As readers of the Conus blog remains sluggish and although
public administration will know, I have been concerned about cranes may be highly visible there
take up lead roles as our the under-performance of the tourism are fewer small-scale residential
construction projects going on in
only real growth sectors. industry in the Far North for some time the ‘burbs. High-profile building
But this has come about, and the fact that the two main tourism- projects mitigate against some of the
at least to some extent, based industry sectors have seen decline but are not enough to make
by the lack of growth virtually no employment growth in four substantial in-roads into the declines
in other sectors such as years - during a nationwide tourism seen since 2008. Employment in this
construction and the boom! This highlights those concerns sector is down 1000.
tourism-based industries. I’ve expressed.
MORE: conus.com.au
9,300 8,500
up 500
up 2000 since 2014
since 2014
High-profile
building projects PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION EDUCATION
The other positive sector to consider
mitigate against The public sector continues to grow at is the education sector. Education
all levels of government. If Cairns can
some of the attract more decentralised government currently sits just outside the top
decline services (particularly at the state 5 for Cairns after some surprising
drops in the past two years. However,
level) there is ample scope for further it certainly has the potential to move
significant increases. Over the past four back into that list in the next year or so.
years, employment in the sector is up In the past four years, it has increased
by 2000.
employment by about 500.
90 • Tropic • Issue 14
