Editing Perth (section)

== Economy ==
{{See also|Economy of Western Australia}}
[[File:BHP tower gnangarra-10.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Brookfield Place (Perth)|Brookfield Place]] towering above heritage buildings in the CBD. Built during the late 2000s mining boom, it is tenanted by the mining company [[BHP]].]]
By virtue of its population and role as the administrative centre for business and government, Perth dominates the [[Western Australian]] economy, despite the major mining, petroleum and agricultural export industries being located elsewhere in the state.<ref name="GreaterPerth">{{cite web|url=http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/dialogue_GPdp3.pdf|title=Greater Perth Economy and Employment|publisher=WA Department of Planning and Infrastructure|date=25 August 2003|access-date=1 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207233658/http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/dialogue_GPdp3.pdf|archive-date=7 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Perth's function as the state's capital city, its economic base and population size have also created development opportunities for many other businesses oriented to local or more diversified markets.
Perth's economy has been changing in favour of the service industries since the 1950s. Although one of the major sets of services it provides is related to the resources industry and, to a lesser extent, agriculture, most people in Perth are not connected to either; they have jobs that provide services to other people in Perth.<ref name="Structure2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFiles/structure_wa_economy_2005.pdf|title=Structure of the WA Economy|publisher=WA Department of Treasury and Finance|date=24 January 2006|access-date=10 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001203306/http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFiles/structure_wa_economy_2005.pdf|archive-date=1 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As a result of Perth's relative geographical isolation, it has never had the necessary conditions to develop significant manufacturing industries other than those serving the immediate needs of its residents, mining, agriculture and some specialised areas, such as, in recent times, niche shipbuilding and maintenance. It was simply cheaper to import all the needed manufactured goods from either the [[Eastern states of Australia|eastern states]] or overseas.

Industrial employment influenced the economic geography of Perth. After WWII, Perth experienced suburban expansion aided by high levels of car ownership. Workforce decentralisation and transport improvements made it possible for the establishment of small-scale manufacturing in the suburbs. Many firms took advantage of relatively cheap land to build spacious, single-storey plants in suburban locations with plentiful parking, easy access and minimal traffic congestion. "The former close ties of manufacturing with near-central and/or rail-side locations were loosened."<ref name="GreaterPerth"/>
[[File:CBH Grain Jetty in the evening, March 2021 02.jpg|thumb|Bulk carrier at the [[Kwinana Grain Terminal|CBH Grain Jetty]] in [[East Rockingham, Western Australia|East Rockingham]]]]
Industrial estates such as [[Kwinana Beach|Kwinana]], [[Welshpool, Western Australia|Welshpool]] and [[Kewdale]] were post-war additions contributing to the growth of manufacturing south of the river. The establishment of the Kwinana industrial area was supported by standardisation of the east–west rail gauge linking Perth with eastern Australia. Since the 1950s the area has been dominated by heavy industry, including an oil refinery, steel-rolling mill with a blast furnace, alumina refinery, power station and a nickel refinery. Another development, also linked with rail standardisation, was in 1968 when the [[Kewdale Freight Terminal]] was developed adjacent to the Welshpool industrial area, replacing the former Perth railway yards.<ref name="GreaterPerth"/>

With significant population growth post-WWII,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/productsbyCatalogue/632CDC28637CF57ECA256F1F0080EBCC?OpenDocument|title=Australian Historical Population Statistics 2008|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|date=5 August 2008|access-date=1 January 2009|archive-date=10 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210205542/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/632CDC28637CF57ECA256F1F0080EBCC?OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref> employment growth occurred not in manufacturing but in retail and wholesale trade, business services, health, education, community and personal services, and in public administration. Increasingly it was these services sectors, concentrated around the Perth metropolitan area, that provided jobs.<ref name="GreaterPerth"/>

Perth has also become a hub of technology-focused startups since the early 2000s that provide a pool of highly skilled jobs to the Perth community. Companies such as [[Canva]], VGW, Appbot, Agworld and Healthengine all hail from Perth and have made headlines internationally. Organisations like StartupWA, Spacecubed and Perth Angels, and programs like Meshpoints, Curtin Accelerate and Plus Eight are all focused on creating a thriving startup culture in Perth and growing the next generation of Perth-based employers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Startup WA |url=https://www.startupwa.org/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Startup WA |language=en-US}}</ref>