Labour Market Reports
Youth Labour Market Outcomes At a Glance
Published: 28 August 2007
Description
This report on youth labour market outcomes focuses on changes in the past five years and gives an indication of near term prospects.
Link to full report
Download: Youth Labour Market Outcomes [PDF 85 KB, 8 pages]
Achievements:
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Robust economic growth in New Zealand over the last five years has had a positive impact on youth labour market outcomes.
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More youth are currently in work than five years ago and the unemployment rate has decreased.
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Over this period average wages have also risen faster than for other age groups.
Labour Market Characteristics:
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Youth unemployment rates are considerably higher than those for people of other ages largely due to their lower skill levels and limited work experience.
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In addition, this skill and work experience profile makes youth more vulnerable to downturns in the labour market.
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Youth labour market participation rates are lower than for most age groups due to a high level of involvement in school and tertiary education.
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In addition, youth that do work are far more likely to work part time than workers of other ages due to study commitments.
Figure 1: Summary of the youth labour market for the year to June 2007
Challenges:
Although labour market outcomes for youth in the last five years are in general positive the unemployment rate still remains consistently higher than for people of other ages. In addition, recent trends, including a rise in the unemployment rate, mean that there are still challenges ahead for the youth labour market.
Moving Forward:
One of the Government’s key focus areas is realising youth potential. This work is focused on improving outcomes for young people through education, which will help prepare young people for the labour market, and contribute to improved youth labour market outcomes over the longer term.
Related Information
Quick facts about youth in the labour market
Future updates
This is a regular report – the next update is due mid 2008.
Author or contact details
For further information please contact the Labour Market Analysis team