The Growth and Gender Composition of New Zealand's Information Work Force

Abstract

This paper documents the continuing growth and gender composition of New Zealand's information work force, at the aggregate level as well as by major occupation groups, over the period 1976-96. Information occupations have been selected from five-yearly Census occupation data at the four-digit level. After lagging behind the US in the past, the relative size of New Zealand's information work force now seems similar to that of the US. By / 996, about 55 percent of the female workforce was employed in information occupations, compared to 40 precent of the male workforce. There seems to have been relatively faster up skilling of the female information work force. The paper also briefly comments on related, but much narrower, 'knowledge worker' concepts, i.e. R&D personnel and the workers of the 'digital' economy, and 011 some of the problems encountered if one wants to relate the work force measures to endogenous growth theory. Finally, a long wish list of further research is provided.