A decade of change in industry employment: Melbourne and Sydney compared

This review of employment in Melbourne and Sydney is based on a customised data set enabling comparison of industry outcomes at a detailed level over the decade 1986 to 1996. The data show that growth in the service industries, particularly services to property and business, has been the dominate source of employment growth in the two cities. However, Sydney has been more successful than Melbourne in capturing higher level occupations within these industries. On the other hand, Melbourne has been more successful than Sydney in retaining employment in manufacturing industries. The effects of state government cuts, particularly in education and government administration, are much more evident for Melbourne than for Sydney. Copyright. Monash University and the author/s