Skill Shortages: Occupations in Shortage in New Zealand
12 Shortages for plant and machine operators and assemblers
SERA 2007 showed an overall fill rate for plant and machine operator and assembler vacancies of 54%, indicating a severe shortage.
Industrial plant operators
Figure 33 shows that industrial plant operators (NZSCO sub-major group 81) were on the margin between severe and moderate shortage with a 58% fill rate in 2007.5
| NZSCO code | NZSCO description | Fill rate | 2007 Vacancies | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 (%) | 2007 (%) | JVM (no.) | Sample (no.) | ||
| 81 | Industrial plant operators | 61 | 58 | 404 | 49 |
| 81231 | Welder and flame-cutter | - | 47 | 180 | 17 |
| 812 | Metal-processing plant operators | - | 46 | 219 | 28 |
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.
Stationary machine operators and assemblers
Table 20 shows that stationary machine operators and assemblers (NZSCO sub-major group 82) were in moderate shortage, with a 55% fill rate in 2007.6
The minor group 829 (assemblers) remain in extreme shortage with only one-quarter of vacancies being filled in 2007 (see Figure 34). Comparing changes in fill rates over time is difficult because few of the occupations identified as being in shortage in SERA 2007 were reported on in 2006. The comparisons that can be made between 2006 and 2007 do not appear to be statistically significant.
| NZSCO code | NZSCO description | Fill rate | 2007 vacancies | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 (%) | 2007 (%) | JVM (no.) | Sample (no.) | ||
| 82 | Stationary machine operators and assemblers total | 64 | 55 | 1,176 | 195 |
| 82111 | Machine tool operator | - | 56 | 264 | 36 |
| 821 | Metal and mineral products processing machine operators subtotal | - | 57 | 403 | 53 |
| 82322 | Plastics machine operator | - | 59 | 35 | 22 |
| 823 | Rubber and plastics products machine operators subtotal | - | 47 | 66 | 25 |
| 827 | Food and related products processing machine operators subtotal | 73 | 79 | 262 | 39 |
| 82923 | Linesperson | 47 | 36 | 63 | 28 |
| 829 | Assemblers subtotal | 40 | 25 | 191 | 43 |
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.
Drivers and mobile machinery operators
Drivers and mobile machinery operators (NZSCO sub-major group 83) remain in severe shortage with a 55% fill rate in 2007.
Taxi drivers were in extreme shortage in 2007, with one-third of vacancies being filled (see Figure 35).
Figure 35: Fill rates for driver and mobile machinery operator occupations, 2007
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are omitted from this graph.
Comparing changes in fill rates over time is difficult because few of the occupations identified as being in shortage in SERA 2007 were reported on in 2006 (see Figure 36). The comparisons that can be made between 2006 and 2007 do not appear to be statistically significant.
| NZSCO code | NZSCO description | Fill rate | 2007 vacancies | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 (%) | 2007 (%) | JVM (no.) | Sample (no.) | ||
| 83 | Drivers & Mobile Machinery Operators total | 46 | 55 | 1,888 | 289 |
| 83211 | Taxi driver | - | 32 | 46 | 25 |
| 83212 | Light truck or van driver | - | 64 | 489 | 55 |
| 83221 | Passenger coach driver | - | 67 | 42 | 18 |
| 83231 | Heavy truck or tanker driver | 40 | 49 | 649 | 49 |
| 832 | Motor vehicle drivers subtotal | 47 | 56 | 1,230 | 147 |
| 83311 | Farm machinery operator, including contractor | 67 | 67 | 98 | 49 |
| 83331 | Crane operator | - | 56 | 18 | 16 |
| 83341 | Fork-lift operator | - | 67 | 211 | 21 |
| 833 | Agricultural earthmoving and other materials/handling equipment operators subtotal | 45 | 53 | 642 | 140 |
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.
Building and related workers
Building and related workers (NZSCO sub-major group 84) were on the margin between severe and extreme shortage overall, with a 37% fill rate in 2007.
Of the occupations within building and related workers, drainlayers (24%) and scaffolders (22%) showed extreme shortages in 2007 (see Figure 37).
Figure 37: Fill rates for building and related worker occupations, 2007.
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are omitted from this graph.
Roofers, who were on the margin between severe and moderate shortage in 2006, decreased markedly in fill rate, by 20 percentage points in 2007 (see Figure 38).
| NZSCO code | NZSCO description | Fill rate | 2007 vacancies | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 (%) | 2007 (%) | JVM (no.) | Sample (no.) | ||
| 84 | Building and related workers | 47 | 37 | 375 | 143 |
| 84111 | Drainlayer | 36 | 24 | 94 | 34 |
| 84114 | Scaffolder | - | 22 | 30 | 18 |
| 84117 | Roofer | 57 | 37 | 100 | 60 |
| 84118 | Aluminium joiner | 46 | 48 | 49 | 27 |
Note: Occupations for which fewer than 10 employers were interviewed in the SERA are not shown in the table. Caution is needed when interpreting fill rates based on small sample sizes (see Appendix B for further discussion of sample errors). Some (sub)totals may exceed the sum of the rows above as they include data from occupations not shown in the table.