Filled jobs
The number of filled jobs increased 1.3 percent to reach 1,823,690 in the year to September 2008. While this was higher than the annual growth rate of 0.4 percent in the year to the September 2007 quarter, it was lower than the annual growth rates of the previous three quarters (December 2007, 2.8 percent; March 2008, 3.1 percent; and June 2008, 2.6 percent).
The number of filled jobs dropped 1.4 percent from the June 2008 quarter. This decline (26,520 jobs) was mainly due to the seasonal decrease in filled jobs in the administrative and support services industry, and the manufacturing industry.
Filled jobs by industry
Growth in filled jobs over the September 2008 year was driven by the professional, scientific, and technical services; health care and social assistance; and public administration and safety industries. However, the number of filled jobs also declined across a number of industries over this period, including the manufacturing; retail trade; accommodation and food services; financial and insurance services; and the rental, hiring, and real estate service industries. The number of filled jobs in the manufacturing industry fell for the third consecutive September year, dropping a further 2,870 jobs (1.3 percent), a total of 10,870 filled jobs (4.8 percent) since the September 2005 year.
Growth in the construction industry continued to slow for the third consecutive September year – easing from a high growth rate of 12.0 percent in the year to September 2005, down to 0.7 percent in the year to September 2008. During the September 2008 quarter, the construction industry recorded the first decline in the number of filled jobs since March 2001 – dropping by 2.4 percent (3,020 jobs) from the June 2008 quarter.
Filled jobs by sector
The majority of filled jobs (80.3 percent) were in the private sector, with 19.7 percent in the public sector. In the September 2008 quarter, the public sector grew by 5,320 jobs (up 1.5 percent), while the private sector shrunk by 31,840 jobs (down 2.1 percent) from the previous quarter. The public sector had stronger growth in filled jobs over the September 2008 year (up 11,500 jobs, 3.3 percent), compared with the private sector (11,350 jobs, 0.8 percent).
Filled jobs by sex and age
The total number of filled jobs held by males and females was almost evenly split at 50.3 percent and 49.7 percent, respectively. In the September 2008 quarter, the number of filled jobs decreased for both males (down 15,130 jobs, 1.6 percent) and females (down 11,400 jobs, 1.2 percent) from the June 2008 quarter. The percentage growth in filled jobs over the September 2008 year was similar for males (up 1.3 percent, 12,210 jobs) and females (up 1.2 percent, 10,650 jobs).
The decrease in filled jobs in the September 2008 quarter (26,520 jobs), was mainly due to a drop of 16,080 jobs (4.6 percent) held by those aged 15-24 years. The number of filled jobs held by people in this age group declined across all industries (except the arts and recreation services industry). In the year to September 2008, the number of filled jobs for those aged 15-24 years and 30-34 years decreased by 2.5 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. The number of filled jobs held by those aged 45-59 increased (3.6 percent), and those aged 60 years and over had the largest percentage increase in filled jobs, up 11.1 percent, over the September 2008 year.
Job and worker turnover
Job turnover and worker turnover help explain net changes in employment. Their relationship and the effect of seasonality on quarterly turnover are shown in the graph below. The job turnover rate uses job creation and job destruction to provide a measure of labour market stability, and the worker turnover rate uses accessions and separations to provide a measure of stability in the workforce. A lower percentage for either of these measures indicates more stability (for more details see the Technical notes section of this release).
During the September 2008 quarter, 102,770 jobs were created and 129,290 jobs were destroyed. This was the smallest number of jobs created during a quarter since March 2003. The number of jobs created was down 14.3 percent, and job destruction was up 5.3 percent, compared with the September 2007 quarter.
There were 262,700 worker accessions and 289,220 worker separations in the September 2008 quarter. The number of worker accessions and separations were down compared with the September 2007 quarter (11.0 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively).
The job turnover rate was 6.3 percent, and the worker turnover rate was 15.0 percent in the September 2008 quarter. These were the lowest job and worker turnover rates since the LEED series began in June 1999. Both the job and worker turn-over rates were lower than those in the previous September quarter (6.7 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively).
Quarterly earnings
Quarterly earnings are calculated from full-quarter jobs. Movements in quarterly earnings reflect changes in pay rates, as well as compositional, seasonal, and other changes.
Average quarterly earnings increased 5.7 percent to reach $11,840 in the September 2008 year. Quarterly earnings for continuing jobs increased 5.3 percent to $12,240, while earnings for new hires rose 6.8 percent to $9,530.
Earnings by industry
The main contributors to the 5.7 percent increase in quarterly earnings were the professional, scientific, and technical services; health care and social assistance; and public administration and safety industries. These industries were influential because they are relatively large industries, in terms of the number of filled jobs, and had substantial increases in quarterly earnings.
Earnings by sector
In the September 2008 year, the public sector had stronger growth in quarterly earnings (up 7.3 percent, to $14,630) than the private sector (up 5.1 percent, to $11,100). In the September 2008 quarter, quarterly earnings increased 5.3 percent in the public sector, and 2.3 percent in the private sector.
Earnings by sex
Females had a larger rise in quarterly earnings than males (up 6.8 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively) in the year to September 2008. The increase in quarterly earnings for females (up to $9,470) was driven by the education and training, and health care and social assistance industries. The increase in quarterly earnings for males (up to $14,170) was driven by the professional, scientific, and technical services, and public administration and safety industries. All of these industries were influential because they have a large number of filled jobs held by females or males, and had relatively large increases in quarterly earnings.
More information
For more information on LEED see the Guide to Interpreting the LEED Data. Additional data and breakdowns are available on Infoshare and Table Builder on the Statistics New Zealand website.
For technical information contact:
Sonja Dekker or Rodney Jer
Wellington 04 931 4600
Email: info@stats.govt.nz
Next release ...
Linked Employer-Employee Data: December 2008 quarter will be released on
23 February 2010.