International Migration, Population Change and the Labour Force, 1991-1996: An Overview

Abstract

Between March 1991 and March 1996 the de facto population of New Zealand increased by around 225,000, the largest intercensal increase since the early 1970s. A short-lived surge in levels of natural increase in the early 1990s, coupled with some of the highest annual net migration gains since 1975, account for this substantial population growth. While there has been considerable comment in the media about the impact of this growth on the Auckland region in particular, the impacts which it has had on New Zealand's Labour force are less well known. This paper examines the components of change in labour force age groups between 1991 and 1996, isolating the impacts of immigration from those of structural change. The contrasting contributions to particular labour force age groups made by emigration of New Zealanders on the one hand, and immigration of citizens from other countries on the other, are then discussed. It is clear from the analysis that emigration and immigration are impacting quite differentially on the younger and older workforces. Some of the implications of these changes are explored with reference to the ageing labour force.