Australian Jobs 2021
Northern Territory
Top employing industries in the Northern Territory
| Employ’t May 2021 | Share of total | 5 year change to May 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industries | '000 | % | '000 | % |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 22.1 | 17 | 4.8 | 27.9 |
| Public Administration and Safety | 22.0 | 17 | -3.1 | -12.2 |
| Construction | 12.3 | 9 | -2.1 | -14.6 |
| Education and Training | 10.8 | 8 | 0.8 | 8.0 |
| Retail Trade | 9.9 | 8 | -1.2 | -11.1 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 9.9 | 8 | -0.5 | -4.6 |
| Other Services | 8.1 | 6 | 2.0 | 32.8 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 6.7 | 5 | 1.2 | 22.6 |
| Transport, Postal and Warehousing | 6.3 | 5 | -1.7 | -20.9 |
| Administrative and Support Services | 5.7 | 4 | 2.6 | 82.6 |
| Mining | 3.1 | 2 | -4.8 | -60.3 |
| Arts and Recreation Services | 3.0 | 2 | -0.5 | -13.4 |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 3.0 | 2 | 1.8 | - |
| Manufacturing | 3.0 | 2 | -0.8 | -21.0 |
| Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services | 1.9 | 1 | -0.2 | -7.3 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1.6 | 1 | -2.0 | -56.5 |
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | 1.4 | 1 | -1.2 | -46.1 |
| Financial and Insurance Services | 0.9 | 1 | -0.6 | - |
| Information Media and Telecommunications | 0.7 | 1 | 0.1 | - |
Following the onset of COVID-19 and the shutdown of non-essential services and trading restrictions, employment in the Northern Territory fell by 8,600 (or 6.4%) between March 2020 and September 2020.1 Over the same period, the participation rate in the territory decreased, from 75.6% in March 2020, to 70.5% in September 2020, while the unemployment rate rose, from 5.2% in March 2020, to a peak of 7.3% in July 2020.
Since September 2020, employment in the Northern Territory has increased by 2,600 but remains 6,100 (or 4.5%) below its pre-pandemic level. While the unemployment rate in the territory, at 4.6% in July 2021, is below the pre-pandemic rate, the participation rate is also below that recorded in March 2020, standing at 71.2%.
Encouragingly, reflecting the relative absence of COVID-19 cases, there has been robust growth in recruitment activity in the Northern Territory, as measured by the Internet Vacancy Index, with job advertisements 1.5 times higher than the pre-pandemic level.
Employment by region, Northern Territory
| Employment | Employment Profile | Educational | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment May 2021 | 5 year change to May 2021 | Part-time | Female | Aged 15 to 24 years | Aged 55 years or older | Bachelor degree or higher | Cert III or higher VET qual | No post-school qual | ||
| Region | '000 | '000 | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Darwin | 82.4 | -3.8 | -4.4 | 23 | 47 | 14 | 17 | 30 | 35 | 32 |
| NT - Outback | 47.7 | -0.7 | -1.5 | 26 | 48 | 10 | 22 | 49 | 21 | 29 |
| Northern Territory | 131 | -6.5 | -4.7 | 24 | 48 | 12 | 19 | 34 | 30 | 32 |
| Australia | 13125.1 | 1177.9 | 9.9 | 32 | 47 | 14 | 20 | 36 | 29 | 29 |
Note: While September 2020 was the trough recorded in employment for the Northern Territory during the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, employment in the territory was at a lower level in June 2021. It should be noted that data for the Northern Territory contains a degree of volatility and should be interpreted with caution.
Sources: ABS, Labour Force (seasonally adjusted and annual averages of original data); ABS, Characteristics of Employment; ABS, Education and Work; National Skills Commission, Internet Vacancy Index.
Footnotes
While September 2020 was the trough recorded in employment for the Northern Territory during the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, employment in the territory was at a lower level in June 2021. It should be noted that data for the Northern Territory contains a degree of volatility and should be interpreted with caution.