Job numbers in the Georges River LGA are projected to rise from 42,529 in 2016 to 53,933 by 2036, equating to 26.8 per cent increase.
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However, this is a reduction from the previous forecast provided in 2019, which estimated the LGA had 49,971 jobs in 2016 and would reach 62,906 jobs by 2036, equating to an increase of 12,935 jobs from the 2016 estimate (or 25.9 per cent).
The revised figures are due to the influence of COVID-19 lock-downs.
The employment projects were provided in a report to this month's meeting of the Georges River ouncil's Environment and Planning Committee.
The figures show the largest job increases will be in health care and social assistance, up from 10,064 in 2016 to a forecast 15,334 in 2036.
This is followed by retail trade jobs - 3,926 in 2016 to 4,543 in 2036.
Construction jobs will increase from 2,097 in 2016 to a forecast 4,075 in 2036. Jobs in finance and insurance services will increase from 3,095 in 2016 to 3,440 in 2036.
Georges River Council engaged consultants HillPDA in 2023 to undertake a study for the 2036 employment projections data from the 2021 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and employment data released by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) in November 2022.
Between 2016 and 2021, the total number of jobs within the Georges River LGA increased by 865 jobs (or two per cent), from approximately 42,530 jobs in 2016 to approximately 43,395 jobs in 2021.
Over this period, the top five growth industries were: Health Care and Social Assistance - with 2,288 additional jobs; Transport, Postal and Warehousing - with 300 additional jobs; Education and Training - with 269 additional jobs; Construction - with 159 additional jobs; Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing - with 31 additional jobs.
The five industries that recorded the strongest decline in employment between 2016 and 2021 were: Accommodation and Food Services - with 556 fewer jobs; Public Administration and Safety - with 395 fewer jobs; Retail Trade - with 254 fewer jobs; Other Services - with 160 fewer jobs; Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services - with 156 fewer jobs 23.
The industries that recorded significant declines are likely due to the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures as well as the historic trends of declining manufacturing employment versus strong growth in health service industries.
It is estimated that the initial loss in employment in the Georges River LGA due to the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns is around 950 jobs between 2020 and 2021. However, employment in the LGA recovered by 2023 and even saw an increase of 3,150 jobs between 2021 and 2023.
The figures will be used to inform the development of council's future policies and planning directions.
