The SMR comprises a diversity and range of businesses and workplace settings.

In 2021-22 there was a: 10.9% increase in the number of businesses in Victoria, the largest percentage growth in any state/territory, with an increase of 71,444 to 726,839 total.

ABS 2021-2022 data shows that there were 166,728 businesses across all sectors in the 10 LGAs making up WHISE’s region. As can be seen in Figure 4, Casey had 20% (n = 33,510), whereas Cardinia had 6% (n = 11,136) of those businesses. Other LGAs having a reasonably consistent distribution between 12,000 to 21,000.

As can be seen in Figure 6, ABS data shows that in 2022, the region’s biggest industries were:

  1. Construction
  2. Professional, scientific, and technical services
  3. Rental, hiring and real estate
  4. Transport, postal and warehousing
  5. Retail trade

In the SMR, these industries employed approximately 391,559 people (ABS, 2021). As can be seen in Figure 7, ABS (2021) data shows that the industries with the greatest employment in the SMR are:

  1. Health care and social assistance
  2. Manufacturing
  3. Retail industry
  4. Education and training
  5. Construction

What is most important to note, however, is the variability in employment across the region.