Recent publications
A listing of recent publications from the Department of Labour.
Jobs Online monthly report - May 20132013-06-19
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled job vacancies increased by 2.0% in May, following an increase in April.
Short-term employment prospects: 2013-20162013-06-11
These employment forecasts will be used to inform the Ministry’s advice relating to immigration priorities, and priority setting for tertiary education and industry training over the next 2-3 years.
Joint MSD/MBIE Quarterly Regional Labour Market Reports2013-06-05
The regional reports convey key labour market information on twelve regions of New Zealand. They include annual trends in labour force participation rates, employment rates and unemployment rates from Statistics New Zealand's Household Labour Force Survey and benefit figures from the Ministry of Social Development's beneficiary records.
Labour Market Factsheets2013-06-05
Labour Market Factsheets are designed to give quick facts about key interest groups in the New Zealand Labour Market. There are factsheets on four groups- Maori, Pacific Peoples, Females and Older People.
Quarterly Labour Market Report - May 20132013-05-29
This report combines the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s labour market monitoring programme with the latest developments in the labour market to paint a summary of labour market trends up to the latest quarter.
The Role of Skills in Supporting Firm Growth Ambition2013-05-23
This report details the findings of a qualitative assessment of the importance of skills in helping New Zealand firms meet their growth ambitions and the extent to which skill shortages are a barrier to growth.
Firm-level Hiring Difficulties: Persistence, business cycle and local labour market influences2013-05-23
This research examines the incidence and persistence of reported hiring difficulties at the firm level.
Guidelines for company directors on their health and safety responsibilities2013-05-21
An important resource for company directors, and part of the Ministry's work to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, is now available.
International Migration Outlook 2011/20122013-05-03
In 2011/12, there was a net outflow of 3,200 people from New Zealand compared with the net inflow of 3,900 in the previous financial year.
Employer' Role and Influence in Migration: A literature review2013-04-26
This report provides an overview of the literature and research on the employers' role and influence in the employment of migrant workers (including refugees and asylum seekers, high and low-skilled workers, and permanent and temporary workers).
Zip line attachment safety2013-04-23
Recent events involving zip lines have highlighted a need for information about zip line safety.
Jobs Online monthly report - March 20132013-04-17
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled job vacancies decreased by 1.5% in March, following a decrease in February. Similarly, all job vacancies decreased by 1.2% in March, after decreasing last month.
Best Practice Guidelines for Elevated Work Platforms in the Horticulture Industry 2013-04-04
These guidelines provide guidance on safe work practices for the use and maintenance of horticultural mobile elevating work platforms (H/MEWPs) in the horticultural industry and are supplementary to other guidance on working at heights and the use of elevating work platforms.
Locations Where Asbestos May be Present2013-03-25
Asbestos, a naturally-occurring silicate mineral, was once known as the 'miracle mineral' because of its fire-retardant properties. During the Industrial Revolution, asbestos mining and manufacturing boomed, particularly due to its use as insulation.
Power lines on rural properties - advice for land owners and managers2013-03-21
Employers should identify all overhead power lines as a hazard, and implement controls to manage this hazard effectively. These could include finding alternative methods of work so employees cannot come into contact with overhead power lines.
Concrete Pumping Health and Safety Guidelines2013-03-21
These guidelines provide practical advice about the safe operation and maintenance of concrete pumping equipment and the environment this equipment is used in.
Jobs Online monthly report - February 20132013-03-20
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled job vacancies decreased by 2.5% in February, following an increase in January. Similarly, all job vacancies decreased by 3.0% in February, after increasing last month.
Migration Trends and Outlook 2011/20122013-03-15
This annual report is the 12th in a series that discusses trends in temporary and permanent migration to and from New Zealand.
Scaffolds with Screening or Containment Sheeting and Temporary Roofs2013-03-06
Scaffold sheeting or screening is used for both safety and environmental purposes. Where work is carried out close to pedestrian or vehicle access, scaffolds that are fully screened can minimise the risk to the public from falling objects. For this reason, toe boards must be fitted to screened scaffolds.
Quarterly Labour Market Report - February 20122013-03-06
This report combines the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's labour market monitoring and the latest developments in the labour market into a picture of trends for the quarter.
Case studies on the better use of skills among New Zealand businesses 2013-02-28
New Zealand workers are attaining higher levels of education, and investment in industry training has increased. However, more needs to be done in the area of skill utilisation if labour productivity and business performance are to be improved.
Joint MSD/MBIE Quarterly Regional Labour Market Reports 2013-02-25
The regional reports convey key labour market information on twelve regions of New Zealand. They include annual trends in labour force participation rates, employment rates and unemployment rates from Statistics New Zealand's Household Labour Force Survey and benefit figures from the Ministry of Social Development's beneficiary records.
Workplace Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices 2013-02-25
Booklet outlining the WES and BEI values for approximately 650 hazardous or toxic substances.
Labour Market Factsheets 2013-02-25
Labour Market Factsheets are designed to give quick facts about key interest groups in the New Zealand Labour Market. There are factsheets on four groups- Maori, Pacific Peoples, Females and Older People.
Jobs Online monthly report - January 20132013-02-20
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled[1]job vacancies increased by 10.6% in January, following two consecutive falls in November and December. Similarly, all job vacancies increased by 12.6% in January, following two consecutive falls in November and December.
Occupation Outlook Report 20132013-02-12
This report is designed to be one of the first places for young people to look when making a decision on career options and to determine what their chances are of getting a job once they have finished studying.
Quarterly Labour Market Scorecard - February 20132013-02-11
The labour market scorecard is a quarterly update of key labour market statistics and indicators, which provides an overall view of the state of the labour market.
Jobs Online monthly report - December 2012 2012-12-23
Online job vacancies decreased further in December following a fall in November, according to the latest Jobs Online report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Short-term employment prospects: 2012-2015 2012-12-19
Employment prospects to March 2015 are presented in this paper which is an update on the employment prospects to March 2014 assessed April 2012.
Jobs Online monthly report - November 2012 2012-12-19
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled[1]job vacancies decreased by 4.1% in November, following a rise in October. Similarly, all job vacancies decreased by 2.7% in November, following a rise in October.
Approved Code of Practice for Load-Lifting Rigging (5th edition) 2012-12-07
The Code provides recommendations and procedures for safe practice while carrying out lifting and rigging work in industry. In an industry with inherent dangers involving lifting, this Code will assist to life the focus on safety.
Guidance for Managing Drug and Alcohol-Related Risks in Adventure Activities 2012-12-07
An Amendment to the Health and Safety in Employment (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2011 requires adventure activities operators to explicitly manage drug and alcohol-related safety risks in their workplaces.
The Impact of Wage Subsidies on Jobseekers' Outcomes and Firm Employment 2012-12-07
Wage subsidies are commonly used to help disadvantaged beneficiaries into jobs. If effective, they can help reduce long-term benefit dependence. This research looks at the impact of wage subsidies on beneficiaries and on the firms that employ them using such a subsidy.
Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Forest Operations 2012-12-05
The purpose of this code is to provide practical guidance to employers, contractors, employees, and all others engaged in work associated with forestry, on how they can meet their obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 and its associated Regulations.
Safe Use of Machinery - An Introduction 2012-11-30
This code aims to assist employers and employees to understand the hazards associated with the use of machinery in the workplace. It gives guidance on how to safely use machinery to comply with the duties and obligations under the HSE Act and Regulations.
Arboriculture - Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in 2012-11-30
The purpose of this code is to provide practical guidance to everybody engaged in work associated with arboriculture on how they can meet their obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 and its associated Regulations.
Migrants in New Zealand: Retention and Onward Migration, 1998-2011 2012-11-30
This research examines the characteristics of migrants gaining permanent residence in New Zealand and their subsequent mobility patterns, as well as the mobility patterns of the New Zealand-born population.
Who Left, Who Returned and Who Was Still Away?2012-11-23
The report Who Left, Who Returned and Who Was Still Away? examines the overseas migration patterns of New Zealand's tertiary graduates. The report improves our understanding of how graduate emigration affects the stock of skills available to New Zealand's economy.
Joint MSD/MBIE Quarterly Regional Labour Market Reports 2012-11-22
The Joint MSD/MBIE Quarterly Regional Labour Market Reports provide regularly updated labour market information at a regional council level. Published following the release of the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), these reports provide timely and accurate labour market information at a regional level.
Labour Market Factsheets 2012-11-22
Labour Market Factsheets are designed to give quick facts about key interest groups in the New Zealand Labour Market. There are factsheets on five groups- Maori, Pacific Peoples, Females, Youth and Older People.
Noise levels created by common construction tools 2012-11-22
Workers in the construction industry use a variety of tools and machinery in the course of their work. One of the hazardous aspects of using this equipment, or being around people who use this equipment, is noise.
Safe Use of Machinery - An Introduction 2012-11-19
Safe Use of Machinery - An Introduction aims to assist employers and employees to understand the hazards associated with the use of machinery in the workplace. It gives guidance on how to safely use machinery to comply with the duties and obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act) and the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995.
Employers' Perspectives - Part Three: Youth and the Long-term Unemployed 2012-11-14
The research involved analysis of data collected from two main sources: quantitative data from the 2011 National Survey of Employers (NSE), with a sample of nearly 2,000 employers, and qualitative data from interviews with 53 employers in Hawke's Bay, Auckland, Dunedin/Invercargill and Wellington.
Jobs Online monthly report - October 2012 2012-11-14
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled[1]job vacancies increased by 5.6% in October, following a fall in September. Similarly, all job vacancies increased by 4.7% in October, following a fall in September.
Immigration New Zealand Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey 2012 - Summary of Key Findings2012-11-05
This survey outcome shows 87 percent of applicants were very satisfied or satisfied with the overall quality of the service they received. This result is significantly higher than that seen in 2011 (75 percent), with both resident and temporary applicants giving higher ratings.
Can you afford a fall from height? 2012-10-24
The cost associated with scaffolding new home builds has been at the forefront of discussion around the Best Practice Guidelines for Working at Height in New Zealand. But the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment asks, can your company afford to have a worker fall from height?
Taking commercial thinking into the residential building sector2012-10-24
Complying with the Best Practice Guidelines for Working at Height in New Zealand will mean a culture shift with commercial health and safety practices being applied to the residential building sector.
Annual Report 2011/122012-10-18
The Department of Labour contributed to the Government's Economic Growth Agenda to grow the economy and improve the quality of New Zealanders' lives by helping to develop a high-performing labour market and immigration and accident compensation systems.
Jobs Online monthly report - September 20122012-10-17
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled job vacancies fell by 5.4% in September, following an increase in August.
Employers' perspectives - Part Two: The Minimum Wage System2012-10-09
This report presents the findings from two data sources of employers' perspectives on the minimum wage system. It discusses the prevalence of its use, how employers respond to increases in the minimum wage, and the impacts that a number of other government interventions have had on employment opportunities from an employer's perspective.
The State of Workplace Health and Safety in New Zealand - September 20122012-10-03
This report is a snapshot of the state of workplace health and safety in New Zealand, bringing together key health and safety statistics into an annual report.
Jobs Online monthly report - August 20122012-09-19
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled job vacancies increased by 4.9% in August, following a decrease in July. All job vacancies increased by 2.6% in August, following an increase in July.
The costs of involuntary job loss: Impacts on workers' employment and earnings2012-09-07
This paper examines the incidence of involuntary job loss and its impact on the employment and earnings of affected workers, using data from the Survey of Families, Incomes and Employment (SoFIE) for the 2002-09 period. It focusses on employees who had been working in their job for at least one year before the job loss.
Quarterly Labour Market Report - September 20122012-09-06
This report combines the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's labour market monitoring and the latest developments in the labour market into a picture of trends for the quarter.
New Land, New Life: Long-Term Settlement of Refugees in New Zealand (Main Report)2012-08-24
This report presents the findings of a survey of 512 former refugees who arrived in New Zealand under the Refugee Quota Programme between 1993 and 1999. It also includes findings from in-depth interviews and focus groups to explore certain aspects of the survey in greater depth. The study is part of the wider Department of Labour research programme 'Quota Refugees Ten Years On: Perspectives on Integration, Community and Identity'.
New Land, New Life: Long-Term Settlement of Refugees in New Zealand (Summary Report)2012-08-24
This report presents a summary of the findings of a survey of 512 former refugees who arrived in New Zealand under the Refugee Quota Programme between 1993 and 1999. The study is part of the wider Department of Labour research programme 'Quota Refugees Ten Years On: Perspectives on Integration, Community and Identity'.
Quota Refugees Ten Years On: Findings from the Focus Groups2012-08-24
The aim of the focus groups were to further explore some of the findings from the face-to-face survey of 512 former quota refugees who arrived in New Zealand 10 to 17 years ago. In particular the focus groups sought to give greater understanding to the following areas: English language acquisition, service delivery and movements to and from Australia.
Quota Refugees Ten Years On: Summary of Methods and Survey Design2012-08-24
This report presents a summary of the methods and survey design of the face to face survey of 512 former refugees who arrived through the Refugee Quota Programme between 1993 and 1999.
Migration Trends Key Indicators Report: June 20122012-08-21
This report summarises key indicators of migration trends for the 2011/12 financial year (1 July 2011 through 30 June 2012).
Jobs Online monthly report - July 20122012-08-15
The regional reports convey key labour market information on twelve regions of New Zealand.
Joint MSD/MBIE Quarterly Regional Labour Market Reports2012-08-13
The regional reports convey key labour market information on twelve regions of New Zealand.
Labour Market Factsheets2012-08-13
Labour Market Factsheets are designed to give quick facts about key interest groups in the New Zealand Labour Market.
Quarterly Labour Market Scorecard2012-08-13
The labour market scorecard is a quarterly update of key labour market statistics and indicators, which provides an overall view of the state of the labour market.
Defining and Measuring Training Activity in New Zealand Workplaces2012-07-25
This report presents a framework to guide decisions on research into training and skill development in the workplace.
External permanent and long-term migration factsheet - June 20122012-07-23
Monthly net migration rose to a 16-month high (a seasonally adjusted net gain of 500).
Jobs Online monthly report - June 20122012-07-18
Jobs Online shows, in seasonally adjusted terms, that skilled job vacancies fell by 2.1% in June, following an increase in May. Similarly, all job vacancies fell by 4.5% in June, following an increase in May.
A Changing Landscape Recruitment Challenges Following the Canterbury Earthquakes2012-07-12
This is the second report from the Canterbury Employers Survey run by the Department of Labour in October 2011. It focuses on employers' perceptions of recruitment and skills issues and looks at how they have responded to the initial challenges of recruitment following the earthquakes.
Medium-Long Term Employment Outlook: Looking ahead to 20202012-07-03
This report presents the Department's medium-long term employment outlook to 2020. In this annual report forecasts are broken down by industries, occupations and broad skill groups.
