The economy of Adelaide is largely based on manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and community services; see the chart to the right for the percentage of Adelaide's population involved in these various sectors of the economy (click to enlarge). Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide combined have 63% of Australia's manufacturing jobs. The CBD is restructuring to be more specialized in business, tourism, and entertainment, while more space-intensive jobs are moving to the suburbs for cheaper land.

Something unique to Adelaide is their viticulture (wine producing) industry. In the Barossa Valley which stretches to the city's north through the Hills, vineyards cover the landscape. This is important not only as a wine-producing region, but as a very scenic area and a great draw for tourists. In the future planning for Adelaide, protection of the viticulture industry has been made a priority.

Unfortunately, unemployment is a huge problem in Australia today, and Adelaide is no exception. In 1971, the unemployment rate in Australia was about 2%, or nearly full employment. By 1994, the male unemployment rate in Adelaide had jumped to 11.4%, and for 15-19 year-olds, this figure is often about 30%. Not only are there many people without work, the number of people who have been without work for a long period of time is increasing: over 1/3 of all unemployed Australians have been out of work for over a year. Further, 25% of Australian families now have no one in paid employment, and 50% of families have two or more workers in a variety of full- and/or part-time jobs. Clearly, the unemployment problem is a difficult one to solve.