Changes in Employment in Australia

Between the early 1980s and 2011, the structure of employment in Australia changed significantly. In the past, a large proportion of the workforce was employed in manual production and manufacturing jobs. However, over the decades, these physically demanding occupations declined steadily. At the same time, employment in the service sector—including healthcare, education, retail, and professional services—expanded rapidly. By 2011, service-based roles accounted for a much larger share of total employment than production jobs. This shift reflects broader economic changes and the increasing importance of knowledge-based and service-oriented industries.