School Children in Employment: Issues and Considerations

Abstract

This paper provides a brief overview of some of the main findings from a research review summarising the state of knowledge surrounding New Zealand school children (aged 17 years and under) in paid employment to early 2010. Well over a hundred thousand New Zealand school children participate in paid employment during the school term, making a substantial contribution to the NZ economy. The review brings together formative publications since 2000 and summary findings from analyses undertaken by the Department of Labour over 2009/2010. Key findings on (i) Employment participation, including participation rates, types of work and hours of work;(ii) Employment conditions, including health and safety experiences and prevalence of employment agreements and (iii) Impacts on Education and Employment Outcomes for New Zealand school children are presented and discussed. Gaps in data availability are also identified. A copy of the full Department of Labour report is available at: http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/research/schoolchildren­in­paid­ employment/youthreport_01.asp.