Wollongong has officially reached its decade-long jobs target four years ahead of schedule, marking a major milestone in our city's economic development journey.
According to the latest data from Economy.id's 2023–24 National Economics State of the Regions Dataset, the Wollongong region has added 10,612 net new local jobs since 2017–18, surpassing the ambitious target of 10,576 jobs set in the Wollongong Economic Development Strategy 2019–2029.
"This is a significant achievement for our city," Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
"When we set this target, it was considered aspirational to more than double the jobs created in the previous decade. To reach it four years early is a testament to the resilience and growth of our local economy."
Wollongong continues to represent nearly 60 per cent of the broader Illawarra-Shoalhaven economy, which is now valued at $29.6 billion.
As of 2023–24, the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA) is home to 102,957 local jobs, up 11 per cent from 92,345 in 2017–18. Over the same period, the number of employed residents has grown by 13 per cent, with 114,403 people now working in, or from Wollongong.
The strongest job growth has come from the Health Care and Social Assistance sector, which added over 5,600 jobs since 2017–18. Construction, Transport, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and Public Administration also saw significant gains.
"This data confirms that Wollongong is not only a great place to live, but also a growing hub for employment across a diverse range of industries," Council's Economic Development Manager Mark Grimson said.
"We're proud of this progress and the diversification of Wollongong's economy, and we also recognise the need to continue supporting local businesses through changing economic conditions."
Despite the strong long-term growth, our survey of Wollongong businesses in late 2024 highlighted that many small businesses were facing challenging business conditions due to higher input costs, higher energy costs along with cost-of-living pressures.
Wollongong City Council remains committed to fostering sustainable economic growth and supporting local businesses and workers as it looks ahead to the next phase of its Economic Development Strategy.
