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Samoan People in New Zealand

Samoan - Labour Force

The labour force consists of adults (aged 15 years and over) employed or unemployed and actively seeking employment.

Two-thirds (66 percent) of Samoan adults were participating in the labour force at the time of the 2001 Census – a similar level to 1996 (65 percent). Labour force participation rates among the Pacific (65 percent) and New Zealand populations (67 percent) were similar to those of the Samoan population.
The New Zealand-born Samoan population had a higher rate of labour force participation (72 percent) than the overseas-born Samoan population (63 percent) in 2001.
Samoan men were more likely to participate in the labour force than Samoan women in 2001 (72 percent and 61 percent respectively) – a pattern repeated across all age groups except for those aged 15–19 years, where 49 percent of women and 47 percent of men were involved in the labour force.
Labour force participation among the Samoan population was lower than that of the New Zealand population across all age groups, except those aged 20–24 years, where 76 percent of both the Samoan and New Zealand populations were involved in the labour force. The respective labour force participation rates widen after the 20–24 year age group, before converging again among those aged 65 years and over. (See figure 6.1.)

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The employment rate is the proportion of the adult population (aged 15 years and over) who are employed in either full-time or part-time paid work.

At the time of the 2001 Census, 56 percent of the Samoan adult population were employed – continuing the upward trend from 54 percent in 1996 and 43 percent in 1991. In 2001, a similar proportion of the Pacific population was employed (55 percent), while the employment rate for the New Zealand population was 62 percent.
Employment among the Samoan population rose from being equivalent to 80 percent of the New Zealand employment rate in 1991 to 90 percent in 2001, as can be seen in figure 6.2.
New Zealand-born Samoans (60 percent) had a higher employment rate than those born overseas (54 percent) in 2001.
Samoan men (62 percent) had a higher employment rate than Samoan women (50 percent) in 2001 – a consistent pattern across all age groups.
In 2001, employment rates among Samoan people were highest among those aged 40–44 years (69 percent) and 45–49 years (70 percent).

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The unemployment rate is the proportion of the labour force who are unemployed, available for work and actively seeking employment.

A total of 7,200 Samoan adults, or 16 percent of the Samoan labour force, were unemployed at the time of the 2001 Census. The unemployment rate for the Pacific population was also 16 percent – more than double that for the New Zealand population in 2001 (7 percent).
There was no change in the Samoan unemployment rate between the 1996 and 2001 Censuses (both 16 percent). However, unemployment among the Samoan population remains lower than at the beginning of the decade (21 percent in 1991).
New Zealand-born Samoans had marginally higher unemployment rates (17 percent) than their overseas-born counterparts (15 percent) in 2001 – with the younger age profile of the New Zealand-born Samoan population a possible contributing factor.
Samoan women had a marginally higher rate of unemployment (17 percent) than Samoan men (15 percent) in 2001.
The unemployment rate among the Samoan population is higher than the New Zealand population across all age groups, as figure 6.3 illustrates. The disparities tend to be greatest among the younger age groups, which have highest unemployment rates – particularly the 15–19 and 20–24 year age groups. (See figure 6.3.)

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In 2001, the most common occupations for employed Samoan adults were plant and machine operators and assemblers (19 percent), clerks (18 percent) and service and sales workers (16 percent).
In the decade to 2001, Samoan people were increasingly employed in 'white-collar' occupations. The proportion of Samoan adults employed as technicians and associate professionals increased by 4 percentage points between 1991 and 2001 to 10 percent, while those employed as service and sales workers rose 3 percentage points to 16 percent in 2001. Conversely, the proportion of Samoan adults employed in 'blue-collar' occupation categories, such as trades workers and plant and machine operators and assemblers, declined between 1991 and 2001, as figure 6.4 illustrates.
New Zealand-born Samoans are more likely than their overseas-born counterparts to be employed in ‘white collar’ occupations, such as legislators, administrators and managers (7 percent and 4 percent respectively), professionals (10 percent and 7 percent) and associate professionals (14 percent and 7 percent).
Samoans born overseas are more likely than their New Zealand-born counterparts to be employed as trades workers (9 percent and 7 percent respectively), plant and machine operators and assemblers (27 percent and 10 percent) and in elementary occupations (16 percent and 9 percent).

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There were considerable occupational differences between the sexes, as shown in figure 6.5. In 2001, Samoan women were more likely than men to be employed in ‘white collar’ categories – such as professionals, technicians and associate professionals, service and sales workers and as clerks. Conversely, Samoan men were more likely to be employed as trades workers and as plant and machine operators and assemblers.
As increasing numbers of the Samoan population gain formal qualifications, young Samoan people are becoming less likely to be employed in ‘blue collar’ jobs and are gradually moving into ‘white collar’ occupations. In 2001, Samoans aged 25–34 years were more likely than those aged 35–44 years to be employed as technicians and associate professionals and less likely to be employed as plant and machine operators and assemblers.

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Just over a quarter (26 percent) of employed Samoan adults worked in manufacturing in 2001. As figure 6.6 shows, retail trade, and property and business services were the next most common industries – each employing 10 percent of Samoan adults.
New Zealand-born Samoans were more likely than those born overseas to work in certain industries, such as retail trade (13 percent and 8 percent respectively) and government administration and defence (7 percent and 3 percent respectively).
Samoans born overseas were more than twice as likely than their New Zealand-born counterparts to work in the manufacturing industry (34 percent and 15 percent respectively). (See figure 6.6.)

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Two percent of employed Samoan adults were employers, while 5 percent were self-employed without employees – the same proportions as in the total employed Pacific population in 2001. By comparison, employers and the self-employed formed 8 percent and 13 percent respectively of the employed New Zealand population.