Employment
Employment status
About this topic
Employment status shows whether people aged 15 years and over are employed full-time or part-time, unemployed, or not in the labour force. It is one of the main Census indicators of labour market participation and economic engagement.
This topic is useful for understanding workforce participation, unemployment, and the broader socio-economic profile of an area. Results from 2021 should be read carefully because COVID-19 restrictions increased the number of people who were employed but away from work around Census time.
Interpretation notes
- Labour force status is based on the week before Census night for people aged 15 years and over.
- In 2021, lockdown instructions could shift more people into 'employed, away from work', so over-time comparisons need care.
- The 'away from work' group also includes people who reported having a job but did not state hours worked.
Key insight
In 2021, Employed was the most common category among residents aged 15 and over in Mount Isa (C), accounting for 95.8% (9,378 people). This share was higher than Regional Qld (94.8%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in Employed, which increased by 270 people and 1.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Labour force status
Mount Isa (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises employment status for Mount Isa (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Labour force status snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Mount Isa (C), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
Employed
2021 count
9,378
% of total
95.8%
Change from 2016
+1.8pp
9,378
95.8%
+1.8pp
Employed full-time
2021 count
6,892
% of total
70.4%
Change from 2016
+0.5pp
6,892
70.4%
+0.5pp
Employed part-time
2021 count
1,797
% of total
18.4%
Change from 2016
+0.4pp
1,797
18.4%
+0.4pp
Employed, away from work
2021 count
690
% of total
7.0%
Change from 2016
+0.9pp
690
7.0%
+0.9pp
Unemployed (Unemployment rate)
2021 count
417
% of total
4.3%
Change from 2016
-1.7pp
417
4.3%
-1.7pp
Looking for full-time work
2021 count
266
% of total
2.7%
Change from 2016
-1.6pp
266
2.7%
-1.6pp
Looking for part-time work
2021 count
144
% of total
1.5%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
144
1.5%
-0.2pp
Chart view
Labour force status change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Employed
+270
+1.8pp
Employed full-time
+119
+0.5pp
Employed part-time
+58
+0.4pp
Employed, away from work
+101
+0.9pp
Unemployed (Unemployment rate)
-165
-1.7pp
Looking for full-time work
-148
-1.6pp
Looking for part-time work
-21
-0.2pp
Data table
Employment status for Mount Isa (C). Labour force status. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| Employed | 9,378 | 95.8% | 94.8% | 9,108 | 94.0% | 92.2% | +270 | +1.8pp |
| Employed full-time | 6,892 | 70.4% | 55.0% | 6,773 | 69.9% | 56.6% | +119 | +0.5pp |
| Employed part-time | 1,797 | 18.4% | 31.8% | 1,739 | 18.0% | 30.6% | +58 | +0.4pp |
| Employed, away from work | 690 | 7.0% | 7.9% | 589 | 6.1% | 5.1% | +101 | +0.9pp |
| Unemployed (Unemployment rate) | 417 | 4.3% | 5.2% | 582 | 6.0% | 7.8% | -165 | -1.7pp |
| Looking for full-time work | 266 | 2.7% | 2.9% | 414 | 4.3% | 4.8% | -148 | -1.6pp |
| Looking for part-time work | 144 | 1.5% | 2.3% | 165 | 1.7% | 2.9% | -21 | -0.2pp |
| Total labour force | 9,790 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 9,688 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +102 | 0.0pp |