Demand for employment in the region has risen in the census period 2001 to 2006 by 5.2%. Demand in this sector is influenced by both the domestic and international economy. The ability of people to travel to retail centres and the increase of larger franchise and national brand stores is affecting smaller towns and enterprises within the region. As this is a sector which usually experiences high turnover as it traditionally provides work for school students and young people, there are likely to be ongoing employment opportunities in the region.

At a national level, forecasts for growth are predicted to be slightly higher than other sectors, although these forecasts note a level of risk when forecasting for retail. The largest growth is expected in specialised food retail, supermarket and grocery stores and furniture, household and appliance retailing. A slight decline is projected in household equipment repair and motor vehicle retailing. These projections do not take the current global economic crisis into account.
Key employment in this region in this sector is in food, other store, motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts retailing.

This industry has 31.1% of its workforce aged 45 years and over.
58.8% of its workforce is female.
52.6% of the workforce is in full time work.
The majority of retail enterprises within the region have less than 20 employees.

Likely future workforce picture:
Moderate growth in demand particularly in the southern part of the region leading to the need for a greater number of skilled workers.
Based on increased demand from 2001 to 2006, 200 additional jobs is a reasonable target for this sector in the next 5 years.