The economic and social contributions of Queensland’s Health and Community Services Industry

Each and every Queenslander depends on the services provided by the Health and Community Services Industry (the Industry) to participate in employment, education, family and community life.

All Queenslanders also benefit from the Industry's significant economic contributions.

Economic contributions

The Health and Community Services Industry is Queensland's largest industry employer, providing jobs for more than 272,000 people.¹

Each year the Industry:

• adds more than $16.2 billion to the state's economy²
• pays more than $13.5 billion in wages and salaries²
• buys around $2 billion worth of goods and services from other Queensland industries and businesses³
• supports all other industries and businesses to remain productive and viable by helping their employees to enter and remain in the workforce
• contributes to the growth of regions by offering employment and business opportunities and providing essential support services for individuals and families.

Volunteers and carers in the Industry also contribute to our state's prosperity, with the value of their work estimated to be worth $10.5 billion annually.^{4, 5}

Job prospects in Health and Community Services Industry are very strong - the Industry is expected to deliver one in four new jobs over the next five years.⁶

Find out more

To find out more about how the Industry benefits the Queensland economy download

• a brochure (PDF, 820 KB) brochure (RTF, 71 KB)
• a more detailed booklet (PDF, 2 MB) booklet (RTF, 216 KB).

Get involved

A strong Health and Community Services Industry is crucial to the continued growth, productivity and well-being of all Queensland industries and communities.

We encourage you to see how your business, industry or agency can work with the Health and Community Services Industry to achieve shared goals in local communities and across the state.

To learn more or get involved contact:

• The Queensland Compact Secretariat on 07 3247 4024 or email compact_secretariat@communities.qld.gov.au
• The Health and Community Services Workforce Council on 07 3234 0190 or email info@workforce.org.au.

Acknowledgements

Through the Queensland Compact, the Queensland Government and the Non-profit Community Services Sector are working together to improve the capacity and sustainability of the human services workforce.

The suite of products on this page have been developed by the Compact Workforce Sub-Committee in consultation with a broad range of government and sector stakeholders.

The Compact Workforce Sub-Committee is a joint government and sector group which supports the human services workforce at a strategic level.

The Sub-Committee's current Action Plan (PDF, 624 KB) Action Plan (RTF, 534 KB) includes a range of activities to strengthen the Health and Community Industry by better profiling its value and contributions.

To learn more about or get involved in Compact Workforce Sub-Committee activities, contact the Queensland Compact Secretariat on 07 3247 4024 or email compact_secretariat@communities.qld.gov.au.

Sources

¹ ABS 6291.0.55.001, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed.
² ABS 5220.0 Australian National Accounts, State Accounts, 2010-11.
³ Queensland Treasury estimate for 2006-07.
⁴ Ironmonger, D. (2008). The Economic value of volunteering in QueenslandUpdate Report.
⁵ Access Economics (2010). The Economic Value of Informal Care in 2010.
⁶ Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2011). Industry Employment Projections Report 2011.