From the first half of 2020 until the second half of 2021, Australia’s construction industry was disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The industry had seen a steady rise in employment between 2015 and 2019, with the number of employees recovering to just over **** million in 2022. As of ***, construction industry employment stood at approximately **** million.
How important is the construction industry?
The construction industry plays a major economic role in Australia. The value of private sector construction was significantly higher than the value of public sector construction. Combined, these sectors cover engineering construction work, non-residential building, and residential building. Engineering construction work, which encompasses infrastructure, was the most predominant of the three. The value of residential construction work completed across Australia’s private and public sectors amounted to over ** billion Australian dollars higher than that of non-residential construction work.
Job outlook
The leading occupations in Australia's construction industry were carpenters and joiners. Roles within this industry vary greatly, with many entry-level jobs not requiring a tertiary education degree. In terms of trade work, apprenticeships and traineeships were the main pathways to enter the market. While the job outlook has been relatively robust in this industry, the construction labor productivity index has been lower in recent years. On top of this, challenges faced in recent years, such as fluctuating material costs, project delays, and skilled worker shortages, could slow down growth in this industry.Â
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Department of Employment (Australia). (April 7, 2025). Number of employees in the construction industry in Australia from 2015 to 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 25, 2026, from /statistics/1112231/australia-employment-in-construction-industry/
Department of Employment (Australia). "Number of employees in the construction industry in Australia from 2015 to 2024 (in 1,000s)." Chart. April 7, 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 25, 2026. /statistics/1112231/australia-employment-in-construction-industry/
Department of Employment (Australia). (2025). Number of employees in the construction industry in Australia from 2015 to 2024 (in 1,000s). ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 25, 2026. /statistics/1112231/australia-employment-in-construction-industry/
Department of Employment (Australia). "Number of Employees in The Construction Industry in Australia from 2015 to 2024 (in 1,000s)." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 7 Apr 2025, /statistics/1112231/australia-employment-in-construction-industry/
Department of Employment (Australia), Number of employees in the construction industry in Australia from 2015 to 2024 (in 1,000s) ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1112231/australia-employment-in-construction-industry/ (last visited July 25, 2026)
Number of employees in the construction industry in Australia from 2015 to 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph], Department of Employment (Australia), April 7, 2025. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1112231/australia-employment-in-construction-industry/