200K jobs boom: The fastest growing industries that will spur mass employment in Queensland

More than 200,000 new jobs are expected to open up over the next few years, particularly throughout regional Queensland. See the regions set to boom and the fastest growing industries.

An ageing population combined with a more educated younger demographic has led to a predicted jobs boom throughout Queensland with regional areas among those to benefit the most.

Data compiled from the Jobs Queensland’s Anticipating Future Skills Series Four report has resulted in the prediction an additional 207,000 workers will be needed throughout the Sunshine State between 2021-22 and 2025-26, an increase in job vacancies of 7.6 per cent.

While employment growth is expected to occur across most sectors, it is forecast more than 70 per cent of all new jobs will be in the Health Care and Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, Education and Training, Accommodation and Food Services and Construction industries.

The Health Care and Social Assistance industry is projected to employ more than 30 per cent of all new workers in the next few years.

The jobs composition across Queensland by 2025.

While occupations under those five industries are at the top of the list in Brisbane, employment growth within the same sectors is also prominent in the Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Central Queensland Moreton Bay – South and Toowoomba regions.

Wide Bay is projected to be the fastest growing area in the state with the most rapid anticipated increase in employment, in part thanks to population growth.

Strong population growth is also expected to create a high number of job vacancies on the Sunshine Coast – in part because of the influx of interstate migrants as well as its industrial composition – with seven industries projected to experience double digit growth by 2025-26.

Wide Bay is projected to comprise 4.6 per cent of Queensland’s workforce by 2025-26 and the Sunshine Coast 7 per cent, according to the report.

The Townsville, Central Queensland, Moreton Bay South and Toowoomba areas, respectively, are anticipated to round out the top six regions projected to have the fastest growing employment opportunities.

The Skills report also predicts more than 2.1 million Queenslanders, or 73 per cent of the workforce, will have a post-school qualification in the form of university degrees or trade certificates by 2025-26.

Aged care will be a booming industry.

Jobs Queensland Board chairwoman, Donna Bonney, said some of the anticipated job openings under Health Care and Social Assistance in the Wide Bay area would be because of the state government’s plan to build a new hospital in Bundaberg.

Throughout the state, Ms Bonney said the predicted employment growth in that industry was because of the nation’s ageing population, meaning more people were needed to help care for others.

“We’re able to provide much better care so people are living longer,” she said.

“Aged care is in that category, with people living longer and needing care in the latter part of their life.

“That’s reflective of our demographics and being a developed country where we provide a lot of high quality and acute health services.”

Matt Grudnoff, senior economist at the Australia Institute, an independent public policy think tank in Canberra, said while jobs in the health services sector were increasing because of the nation’s ageing population, it was also because Australia was becoming a “richer” country.

Part of the increasing wealth was thanks to more people obtaining post-school qualifications and, in turn, higher paying jobs.

“As Australians get richer, they will demand better health services,” Mr Grudnoff said.

“The more highly educated, the more productive you are, so the richer the country is likely to be.

“As countries become richer, we demand better healthcare … and better education for their kids.”