@leisure Planners
@leisure is a team of experienced leisure, aquatic and sports facility managers and planners, with market modelling, sports management, recreation planning, business and GIS qualifications. We have…
read moreHard hit by COVID-19, the proportion of tourism jobs in the Australian economy has plunged to its lowest September quarter on record, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The proportion of tourism filled jobs fell to 4.6% in September, the lowest September quarter since 2013, with just 634,000 jobs in tourism during that month, a 13% drop from September 2019.
The ABS figures reveal the sector has been hit harder by bushfires and COVID-19 than the economy as a whole.
The sector was impacted after summer bushfires swept across Australia, with states of emergency declared in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, followed immediately by the pandemic, which forced Australia’s international borders shut in March and a series of domestic restrictions and lockdowns.
It recovered slightly, with the number of jobs jumping 4% from the June to September quarter after two large quarterly falls.
Commenting on the figures, ABS Tourism Statistics Assistant Director, Terri Hendry advised “despite the uptick in the September quarter, the latest data is again showing that tourism has been impacted more severely than the economy as a whole with the number of jobs down.”
Number of tourism jobs ('000) by employment status
The biggest falls in tourism jobs since September 2019 were in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (23,900 jobs), accommodation (23,500 jobs) and air, water and other transport (15,200).
With part-time tourism jobs exceeding full-time positions for first time, Hendry added “tourism has always had a high proportion of part-time jobs, but in September, tourism part-time jobs exceeded full-time jobs for the first time in this time series.”
Prior to COVID-19, jobs on average were growing in all tourism industries for a decade prior to 2020.
Click here for further information, Tourism Satellite Account: quarterly tourism labour statistics, Australia, experimental estimates (cat. no. 5249.0.55.005).
4th December 2020 - Sunshine Coast partnerships promote new JOBS NOW campaign for tourism and hospitality sector
5th November 2020 - Western Australian Government promotes jobs in swimming
29th August 2020 - Tourism Council WA says AFL and events can save jobs
19th June 2020 - Perth museum project provides jobs for Western Australian creative industries
21st May 2020 - Jobs in the arts and hospitality could take five years to recover to pre-Coronavirus levels
24th March 2020 - Up to 300,000 hospitality jobs set to be lost across Australia
21st March 2020 - One million jobs a day being lost due to Coronavirus pandemic
17th March 2020 - Coronavirus impact puts up to 50 million jobs at risk across global tourism
10th February 2020 - Experience Co cuts Cairns tourism jobs in restructuring
2nd December 2019 - VMA launches first dedicated jobs portal for the venue management industry
3rd April 2019 - Tourism ‘the best partner for governments’ to generate jobs and economic growth
4th April 2018 - Tourism growth boosting Victorian Jobs
23rd March 2018 - WTTC says one in five of all new jobs created globally in 2017 are attributable to tourism
1st November 2017 - Arts and sports industries the fastest growing jobs sector in Western Australia
21st September 2017 - Path to leisure jobs opens for youth in Melbourne’s north
16th April 2020 - ABS survey shows ‘arts and recreation’ businesses as being hardest hit by Coronavirus pandemic
4th December 2020 - Mary Valley Rattler attraction able to maintain operation with JobKeeper support
10th November 2020 - ATEC highlights that tourism exporters need JobKeeper support until international borders reopen
7th August 2020 - Federal Government adds $15 billion to JobKeeper scheme to aid Victorian businesses
22nd July 2020 - Live Entertainment Industry Forum applauds Australian Government’s JobKeeper extension
18th July 2020 - Thousands back ATIC petition for retention of JobKeeper allowance
19th June 2020 - Tourism and Transport Forum calls for extension of JobKeeper for another six months
26th May 2020 - Call for JobKeeper underspend to be allocated to revive Australian tourism
9th April 2020 - ATIC welcomes JobKeeper payment scheme
7th April 2020 - Fears tourism businesses may not be eligible for JobKeeper payments
31st March 2020 - ATIC supports $130 billion JobKeeper package
14th September 2020 - New survey highlights Melbourne hospitality staff losing confidence in employment opportunities
21st July 2020 - VenuesLive flags permanent employment opportunities at ANZ, Bankwest and Optus Stadiums
17th August 2017 - Aquatic, fitness and sport employment and salary trends under the microscope
9th June 2016 - ABS Economic Activity Survey shows over 200,000 employed in ‘arts and recreation services’
8th June 2014 - ABS to scale back collection of culture, recreation, sport and tourism statistics
28th May 2010 - ABS: Australians spend 21% of their lives on ‘free time’ activities
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
@leisure is a team of experienced leisure, aquatic and sports facility managers and planners, with market modelling, sports management, recreation planning, business and GIS qualifications. We have…
read moreHadley Australia and Series Australia Pty Ltd are the leading quality theatre chair manufacturers in the southern hemisphere. The businesses work closely with architects, interior designers and…
read moreSLE Worldwide Australia is a Managing General Underwriter specialising in insuring risks in the world of Sports, Leisure and Entertainment. Be it relaxing, playing, organising or watching sports,…
read moreAIS Water, the trading name of Australian Innovative Systems, is a multi-award winning, Australian owned leader in the design, production and supply of commercial and residential chlorine generators…
read moreAdvanced Aquarium Technologies (AAT) is a world leader in the design, construction, and operation of landmark public aquariums. Led from Queensland, AAT has delivered aquarium projects in over 25…
read moreA leading designer and manufacturer of innovative waterslides and attractions, Australian Waterslides and Leisure (AWL) is also able to advise clients in the areas of concept and design, feasibility…
read moreAs of the 1st July 2018, Enta Australasia Pty Ltd/Best Union has been rebranded as VIVATICKET Pty Ltd. Click here to view the VIVATICKET Pty Ltd listing. 19th July 2018 - ENTA…
read morePricemark supplies a wide range of custom branded membership & RFID access products for the Health & Leisure Industry.
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!