The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces official data on tourism jobs quarterly. This data is essential to measure and understand changes in the visitor economy workforce.
Tourism Research Australia (TRA) produces a short summary report of this data each quarter. Our report analyses changes in the number of filled tourism jobs by:
- tourism-related industry
- employee and employment characteristics (that is, male or female, full-time or part-time).
Our report also discusses recent results, emerging trends and comparisons to the pre-pandemic situation.
Download the report
Access the data
View the ABS data, details and analysis on Tourism Satellite Accounts: quarterly tourism labour statistics.
Impact of COVID-19 on the tourism labour force
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on Australia’s tourism labour force.
The number of tourism jobs declined sharply at the start of the pandemic in 2020. It has taken a long time for the number of tourism jobs to return towards their pre-pandemic level.
The slow recovery in jobs resulted in workforce and skills shortages in the visitor economy. The THRIVE 2030 strategy identified workforce shortages as a barrier to the industry’s recovery. Growing a secure and resilient workforce for the visitor economy is one of the priorities in the Strategy.
Measuring tourism jobs in Australia
Measuring tourism jobs in Australia is complex. Industries are typically defined according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC). However, tourism does not align with a single ANZSIC classification. It spans several ANZSIC classifications.
The ABS employs a rigorous methodology to produce reliable tourism labour force data. The data aligns with the ABS Australian Labour Account and the Tourism Satellite Account. This complies with internationally accepted standards including:
- International Labour Organization fundamentals
- the United Nations Statistical Commission’s System of National Accounts 2008.
