Manufacturing

New South Wales (NSW) accounts for about one-third of Australia's manufacturing production, turnover and employment.

The State's manufacturing sector generated just over A$73 billion in turnover in 1999-00 and accounted for 13.4 per cent of the State's total income.

The manufacturing sector contributed A$27 billion to the NSW economy in 2000-01.

NSW accounts for around 36 per cent of Australia's manufacturing production. The State's manufacturing sector employed 342,900 people in February 2002, around 11.2 per cent of the NSW workforce.

NSW's manufacturing industry grew at an average annual rate of 4.5 per cent (current prices) between 1989-90 and 2000-01.

The major areas of value-added manufacturing in NSW in 1999-2000 were:

• metal products 2 A$3,934 million;
• food, beverages and tobacco - A$4,439 million; and
• machinery and equipment - A$3,929 million.

The manufacturing sectors with the highest levels of employment in February 2002 were:

• machinery and equipment manufacturing - 72,900 jobs;
• metal products manufacturing - 58,700 jobs;
• food,beverages and tobacco manufacturing - 57,900 jobs;  and
• printing, publishing and recorded media - 44,400 jobs.

Manufacturing accounts for around 40% of NSW's merchandise exports and 23.9 per cent of its total exports (including services and parts).

Among NSW's top exports are elaborately transformed manufactures (ETMs) such as:

• medicinal and pharmaceutical products;
• office machines and computing equipment;  and
• professional, scientific and controlling instruments.

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