The aims of the underutilisation work programme are to better understand the social, economic, demographic and work-related characteristics of underutilised workers in New Zealand and the barriers these workers face, as well as to expand our knowledge of the scale and prevalence of labour underutilisation.
This research aims to better understand the various labour market groups in New Zealand who want jobs or more hours of work, known as the underutilised workforce. The report looks at the composition and characteristics of the underutilised workforce, the likelihood of movement in and out of the different sub-groups of the underutilised population, and the reasons for underemployment. It also presents findings on the earnings trajectories of underemployed workers relative to fully-utilised workers over the period affected by COVID-19 compared to before the pandemic.
The study updates and extends previous research on New Zealand’s underutilised workforce undertaken on behalf of MBIE by the New Zealand Work Research Institute at AUT in 2019.
Underutilisation in the New Zealand Labour Market (Infographic) [PDF 193KB](external link)
The report looks at individual, household and work characteristics of NZ’s underutilised population, the persistence of underutilisation and factors associated with the intensity and duration.
PDF, 1.1MB, 40 pages
This summary details the key findings from the report 'Characterising New Zealand's Underutilised Workforce'.
PDF, 186KB, 2 pages
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