Illawarra Job-Market Diversity: Key Sectors & Growth Trends 2025
Discover how Illawarra’s job market has shifted from manufacturing dominance to a balanced mix—see HHI decline, top sector shares & fastest-growing roles in 2025.
Since 2019, Illawarra’s employment landscape has transformed. Once heavily reliant on manufacturing, today the region sports a broader mix of occupations. Below we explore concentration metrics, leading sectors by share, and the fastest-growing roles as of April 2025.
Detailed Region Analysis
Illawarra
NSW
Employment Diversity in Illawarra
1. Concentration Has Fallen
Illawarra’s average normalised Herfindahl-Hirschman Index dropped from 0.150 in 2019 to 0.096 in 2025—a 35.8% decline. This signals that vacancies are no longer clustered in a few occupations, reducing reliance on traditional manufacturing roles.
2. Top Sectors by Vacancy Share (Apr 2025)
- Professionals: 13.8% of all ads
- Community & Personal Service Workers: 7.5%
- Technicians & Trades Workers: 7.4%
3. Fastest-Growing Roles Year-on-Year
- Factory Process Workers: +50.0%
- Sports, Travel & Personal Service Workers: +33.3%
- Sales Support Workers: +33.3%
4. What This Means
- Job-seekers gain diverse options beyond manufacturing—health, education, tech and services now lead demand.
- Employers face a broader talent pool but must compete across multiple sectors.
- Policy-makers should nurture high-growth vocational pathways (e.g., factory and service roles) to sustain balanced growth.
Conclusion
Illawarra’s shift to a more varied job market—with declining HHI and new growth leaders—marks it as a resilient region for careers and investment in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the HHI decline signify?
A lower HHI means job vacancies are spread across more occupations, indicating reduced concentration.
Which sector holds the largest vacancy share?
Professionals lead with 13.8% of all job ads in April 2025.