Kempsey Shire

Employment by industry (Total)

In Kempsey Shire, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employer, generating 2,389 local jobs in 2023/24.

Employment (total) is the most accurate and up to date measure of the total number of people employed in Kempsey Shire. The statistics are modelled by NIEIR to correct for the known undercount of jobs recorded in the Census. They estimate the total number of persons employed in an industry sector (full-time and part-time) in Kempsey Shire regardless of where they live. They are updated annually.

By comparing the number of jobs in each industry sector to a regional benchmark, you can clearly see the structure of Kempsey Shire's economy. This can be done by directly comparing the area to its benchmark, or by using a location quotient to look at the relative size of industries.

Estimated total employment by industry should not be considered as a "Full-Time Equivalent" measure as different industries will have different ratios of part-time and full time employees. Full-time employment by industry statistics are also available.

To see how employment is distributed across the area, see the Employment locations section and to see where people come from to work in these industries, these data should be viewed in conjunction with Workers place of residence by industry data.

More granular sub-categories for each industry sector are available in the Employment by industry (Census) counts. While Census figures undercount employment they do provide a more detailed picture of the specific industries operating in the area.

Data source

National Economics (NIEIR) - Modelled series

Please note – Detailed notes about how the figures are derived can be found in the specific topic notes section.
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Employment (total) by industry
Kempsey Shire2023/242018/19Change
IndustryNumber%. New South WalesNumber%. New South Wales2018/19 - 2023/24
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing7025.51.86285.42.1+74
Mining250.20.9240.21.0+0
Manufacturing7726.16.07506.46.7+22
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services1321.01.1970.81.0+35
Construction1,65913.09.71,84415.79.4-185
Wholesale Trade1281.03.11181.03.3+9
Retail Trade1,59912.59.01,34411.59.7+255
Accommodation and Food Services1,0278.16.49908.47.0+37
Transport, Postal and Warehousing4793.85.25584.85.4-79
Information Media and Telecommunications470.41.9310.32.3+16
Financial and Insurance Services1210.95.31191.04.9+2
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services1080.81.71221.01.7-14
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services3262.610.13372.99.7-11
Administrative and Support Services4203.33.04033.43.2+17
Public Administration and Safety1,0728.46.18557.35.7+217
Education and Training1,2419.78.51,0859.28.3+156
Health Care and Social Assistance2,38918.715.31,89416.113.2+495
Arts and Recreation Services1231.01.71331.11.8-10
Other Services3783.03.33993.43.8-21
Total industries12,747100.0100.011,729100.0100.0+1,017

Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2025. Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id (informed decisions). NIEIR-ID data are adjusted each year, using updated employment estimates. Each release may change previous years’ figures. Learn more

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Did you know? By clicking/tapping on a category in the chart below you will be able to drilldown to the sub categories.
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Dominant groups

An analysis of the jobs held by the local workers in Kempsey Shire in 2023/24 shows the three largest industries were:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (2,389 people or 18.7%)
  • Construction (1,659 people or 13.0%)
  • Retail Trade (1,599 people or 12.5%)

In combination these three industries accounted for 5,647 people in total or 44.3% of the local workers.

In comparison, New South Wales employed 15.3% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 9.7% in Construction and 9.0% in Retail Trade.

The major differences between the jobs held by local workers of Kempsey Shire and New South Wales were:

  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (2.6% compared to 10.1%)
  • A smaller percentage of local workers employed in the field of Financial and Insurance Services (0.9% compared to 5.3%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (5.5% compared to 1.8%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers employed in the field of Retail Trade (12.5% compared to 9.0%)

Emerging groups

The number of local workers in Kempsey Shire increased by 1,017 between 2018/19 and 2023/24.

  • Health Care and Social Assistance (+495 local workers)
  • Retail Trade (+255 local workers)
  • Public Administration and Safety (+217 local workers)
  • Education and Training (+156 local workers)

Kempsey Shire

economic profile