Employment profile

Parramatta has NSW’s largest employment concentration outside of the Sydney CBD. Over 86,000 people work in the area with over two thirds of jobs located in the major business hubs; Parramatta CBD, Westmead and the industrial estates of Camellia, Rydalmere and Rosehill.

Strong employment growth

Employment in the Parramatta CBD has grown at least eightfold since 1971 - from an estimated 5,000 jobs to an approximate 39,000 today. There was strong employment growth across a number of industry sectors including health services, finance and insurance and professional services.

Low Unemployment

Since 2001, the unemployment rate in Parramatta City remained consistently lower than that of the National, New South Wales and Sydney Metropolitan average. This is despite its population growing at an average annual rate of 1%. Currently, its unemployment rate stands at 5%, lower than NSW's average of 5.4%.

A skilled workforce

Access to skills and labour are increasingly important to Australian businesses looking to expand. Parramatta’s residental population of over 150,000 and regional population of over 1.75 million mean that businesses locating to the area have access to a large, professionally-skilled labour pool.

Half of all employees in 2001, were employed in a professional capacity reinforcing Parramatta’s status as a key business centre. A further 7% of the workforce were employed as skilled tradespeople.

Important changes in occupational patterns indicate Parramatta’s mounting shift towards a higher skilled professional employment centre including:

• A growth in the number of professionals and paraprofessionals by 22% between 1996 and 2001

• An increase in the order of 11% in the number of people employed as Managers and Administrators over this same period

Future Growth

The NSW Government estimates that the Parramatta CBD will host up to 100,000 jobs by 2051. The city continues to successfully attract an increasing number of finance and business, and other services firms to the centre.

Based on employment growth trends over the last two or three decades, employment modelling by Parramatta City Council’s Economic Outcomes Team, suggests that by 2025, employment in the CBD will increase by an extra 30,000 people. The chief industry areas which will absorb this future growth will further cement Parramatta’s prime commercial position.

Source: Parramatta City Council