In 2016, the main industries or sectors of employment for Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 were (Figure 3):
- health care and social assistance (15%)
- public administration and safety (12%)
- education and training (10%)
- construction (9.5%).
Four per cent of employed Indigenous Australians aged 15 and over worked in the mining sector in 2016 (ABS 2017).
Of the 15% of Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 who reported being employed in the health care and social assistance industry, 78% were female (ABS 2017).
Only minimal changes occurred in the pattern of employment by industry for Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 between 2011 and 2016. Health care and social assistance was also the primary industry of employment of Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 in 2011, with a similar 15% share of total employment (ABS 2017).
For non-Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 who were employed in 2016, the main industries or sectors of employment were:
- health care and social assistance (13%)
- retail trade (10%)
- education and training (9%)
- construction (9%).
For additional data on employment among Indigenous Australians and progress on the Closing the Gap employment target see:
For a more general perspective on the patterns and trends in Indigenous employment and comparisons with non-Indigenous Australians see:
References
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2017. Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia—stories from the Census, 2016: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population 2016 Census Article. ABS cat. no. 2071.0. Canberra: ABS. Viewed 2 April 2019.
ABS 2018. Census 2016, TableBuilder. Findings based on use of ABS TableBuilder data.
Case A, Lubotsky D & Paxson C 2002. Economic status and health in childhood: the origins of the gradient. The American Economic Review 92(5):1308–44.
Duncan G, Magnuson K & Votruba-Drzal E 2014. Boosting family income to promote child development. Future Child, Spring 24(1):99–120.
Marmot, M 2011. Social determinants and the health of Indigenous Australians. Medical Journal of Australia 194(10):512–513.
PM&C (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet) 2018. Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Report 2018. Canberra: PM&C.
PM&C 2019. Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Report 2019. Canberra: PM&C.
SCRGSP (Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision) 2018. National Indigenous Reform Agreement: National Agreement Performance Information 2017–18. Canberra: Productivity Commission.
Venn, D 2018. Indigenous youth employment and the school-to-work transition. 2016 Census Paper no. 2. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU.