Sector workforce profile
From 2021 to 2025, Queensland’s population has grown by 8.85%. Within the last 12 months the population has grown by 1.74%. At the same time, potentially reflecting a higher demand for services, the public sector workforce has also grown, but at a higher rate than population growth.
- The whole-of-sector grew by 8,693.49 full-time employees (FTE) — an annual increase of 3.21%
- The health sector grew by 4,866.92 FTE — an annual increase of 4.24%
- The education sector grew by 1,871.59 FTE — an annual increase of 2.29%
- The rest-of-sector grew by 1,954.98 FTE — an annual increase of 2.63%
Footnote: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data on Queensland’s population growth is recorded over a five-year period from 2021–2025, and MOHRI data spans a different five-year period, from 2022–2026.
As at March 2026, the sector employed 279,577.20 FTE, representing a 3.21% increase (8,693.49 FTE) from March 2025. Over the past five years, the sector has grown by 37,808.33 FTE, an increase of 15.64% from 241,768.87 FTE in March 2022. A significant component of this growth (20,150.72 FTE) has been in the health sector.