Our staff

The Department of Labour employs approximately 1,570 staff with a wide range of professional skills, knowledge and experience to support New Zealanders' working lives. Roles include frontline delivery; managers; mediators; occupational safety and health inspectors; immigration officers; labour inspectors; community employment fieldworkers; policy advisers and analysts; researchers; accountants; planners; lawyers; IT professionals; communications and media; human resources; administration staff, and statutory officers of related Courts and Authorities.

Sixty percent of our staff are women and 40 percent men; 12 percent are Maori; 9 percent are Pacific peoples and 13 percent are Asian. Average length of service is almost 6 years, and the longest-serving staff member has 43 years service.

These staff are based in 23 locations around New Zealand, and 16 overseas offices, plus some Department staff based in international posts run by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Department has a Partnership for Quality with the Public Service Association (PSA) which details how the Department and the PSA will work together to achieve quality public service and quality jobs.