HEALTHY growth in jobs revealed in the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data offers some insight into the true face of our region. The release of the 2021 data this week revealed health care and social assistance jobs were now one in six of those in the Hunter, but it was far from good news across the board.
The numbers also lay bare the decline in manufacturing in the region, with the number of employees in that sector falling from 26,146 to 18,280 in the decade since 2011. While the NSW Labor party that now holds government has made noise about building trains and other infrastructure recently brought from overseas onshore, the dwindling in the workforce ready to start such tasks must be addressed too.
The good news is that manufacturing was the only Hunter industry group suffering a fall over that period. Mining remained a relatively stable employer while retail grew slightly in the 10-year period. Construction, on the other hand, is employing almost 50 per cent more people and usurped retail as the region's third-largest employer.
Such trends offer a bellwether of how the economy has changed. While mining remains a substantial employer, it is an industry where the winds of change around coal are growing ever stronger. While the sector won't disappear overnight, there is less certainty for those who rely upon it than there was 10 short years ago. The federal transition authority, included in last night's budget and revealed in this newspaper last week, is designed to help those workers ride those zephyrs to a softer landing.
Pleasingly, the overall tally of jobs in the Hunter grew 20 per cent. Hospitality employees rose 22 per cent while professional, scientific and technical services jobs were up by a quarter. Public administration also rose 18 per cent.
There is no doubt this is a region that continues to work. While the Census fell within the pandemic years, it shows many other powerful forces that have honed and whittled so many lives in the region. Understanding that shape helps us see clearly that the typical Hunter worker may not be who we expect, or doing what we would have expected 10 years ago.
The big challenge for this region so crucial to keeping its economy thriving is looking ahead to what they might be doing 10 years from now. While it's not an easy task, somebody has to do it or we risk falling behind.
