Occupational Trends in New Zealand: 1991-2001

Abstract

This research provides a useful insight into the occupational evolution of the New Zealand labour market. Our presentation looks at three different areas and the research paper is divided accordingly. The paper begins with an analysis of the conceptual basis of occupational classifications used in New Zealand. This is done because the classification system forms the basis of the quality and amount of occupational employment information that can be used for historical trends. The NZSC099 is a skills-based classification system therefore the paper examines the strengths and limitations of the way that the NZSC099 uses skills information. The paper then follows with an explanation of how the research team constructed a time series of occupational employment using data from the 1991, 1996 and 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings. The paper concludes with some initial results from an analysis of trends in the occupational structure of the New Zealand labour market between 1991 and 2001 using this Census data. This section comprises key explanatory figures and charts of longitudinal trends.