November 2005

 

The economic slowdown may disproportionately affect Māori employment, although less so than in past economic slumps, according to the new Department of Labour report Māori Labour Market Outcomes: Trends and Outlooks. The report says Māori labour has diversified and upskilled, but there are still higher levels of under-employment and semi-skilled labour among Māori. There is also a larger proportion of Māori in the working-age population, so they will be affected more by unemployment. However, the New Zealand labour market will become more reliant long-term on the relatively younger Māori population to fill skill-shortages.