The health care and social assistance industry now accounts for one in six jobs in the Hunter, while new Australian Bureau of Statistics figures demonstrate the decline in manufacturing.
A Newcastle Herald analysis of ABS 2021 Census data shows health care and social assistance jobs now account for 17 per cent of the region's workforce, up from 13 per cent in 2011.
The number of people employed in the sector increased from 34,495 in 2011 to 54,883 over the decade. Almost 80 per cent of health and social assistance workers are women.
Over the same 10 years, the number of people employed in manufacturing dropped 30 per cent from 26,146 to 18,280.
More than 5000 of those jobs disappeared in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas. Manufacturing was the only Hunter industry group to suffer a fall in job numbers.
Employment in the region's mining industry remained relatively stable over the decade, rising from 13,177 workers to 14,943.
The retail trade was the third largest employer in 2021 but grew only slightly from 28,845 to 29,148 workers over the 10 years to 2021.
The results of the analysis are consistent with other ABS data published last week in the Newcastle Herald which showed professional and information services jobs in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie now outnumber those in the mining and manufacturing sectors.
Employment in the construction industry grew almost 50 per cent in the decade to 2021, from 20,793 to 29,836.
The building sector's share of the jobs market rose from 7.9 per cent to 9.4 per cent and overtook retail as the region's second largest employer.
Jobs in the employment and training sector followed a similar trajectory, up 33 per cent from 20,430 to 27,243.
Professional, scientific and technical services jobs increased 25 per cent, hospitality employment grew 22 per cent and public administration work increased 18 per cent.
The overall number of jobs in the Hunter economy grew 20 per cent.
Clean energy Minister Chris Bowen announced on Friday that the federal government would establish a Net Zero Authority from July 1 to promote investment in regions like the Hunter experiencing a structural economic transition away from fossil fuels.
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