"Work Rich" and "Work Poor" Individuals and Families: Changes in the Distribution of Paid Work from 1986 to 1996

Paul Callister

This paper uses census data to examine broad trends from 1986 to 1996 in the distribution of paid employment for New Zealand individuals and families. The focus is on prime-age men and women and heterosexual couples, especially couples with a child under five, because of the impact this has on patterns of women’s work.

The findings show that the changes in labour demand had a profound effect on patterns of paid work, with one of the most significant being the loss of work for many prime-age (25-59 years) men. This appears to be a major factor behind the increase in work-poor families in this period. In contrast, the participation in paid work of prime-age women, in particular those with young children, continued its long-term growth trend, especially among women whose partner was also in paid work, leading to an increase in work-rich families.

There are many reasons for these changes, but an important factor is that those with few formal qualifications are finding it difficult to enter and remain in paid work, and that jobs created with few formal qualifications are not being filled by prime-age men. As a result, in many situations women may be better placed to become the prime income earner.