Functional Labour Markets Revealed by Travel to Work Data 1991 and 2001

Abstract

Regional labour market analysis is ideally based on functional rather than administrative areas. Travel-to-work data obtained from the 1991 and 2001 Census are used to define a set of functional labour markets for New Zealand. Considerable stability is found in the boundaries of the identified labour markets 1991 and 2001 although with a reduction in the number of areas from 140 to 106. The overall stability in the identified areas suggests that they provide a robust basis for regional analysis. The reduction in the number of areas is explained in part by data deficiencies associated with the 2001 Census and in some instances by changes in commuting patterns.