Presentation to OECD Policy Forum on the reassessment of the OECD Jobs Strategy

1
Better Jobs, Working Smarter

• Presentation to OECD Policy Forum onthe
  reassessment of the OECD Jobs Strategy
• 7-8 July 2005, Tokyo, Japan

2
Overview

• It is over a decade since the OECD Jobs Strategy
  was launched
• The New Zealand labour market has changed
  considerably over that time
• By the end of the 90s, New Zealand had addressed
  many of the issues raised by the OECD Jobs
  Strategy. In the new millennium, New Zealand
  began to tackle new challenges.
• We are still working to fully understand how to
  respond to those challenges.

3
NZs economic performance
4
NZs current labour market

• New Zealands current labour market performance
  is generally positive
• Low unemployment rate 3.9, second lowest in
  OECD
• Percentage of long-term unemployed ( gt 6 months)
  is only 24
• Dramatic growth in the size of the labour force
  and numbers employed
• High labour force participation 67.7 of those
  aged 15 and over
• Improved qualification attainment of the
  workforce 75 of the workforce have a
  qualification.
• Significant growth in numbers of people learning
  in the workplace over 150,000 in formal industry
  training, including over 7,000 Modern Apprentices
• Low levels of industrial disputes / days lost due
  to industrial action

5
NZs Labour Market Challenges

• Despite a generally positive labour market
  situation, a number of challenges exist
• Demographic trends towards an aging population
• Lower participation and higher unemployment for
  Maori and Pacific peoples
• Lower participation and incomes for women and
  those caring for others
• Skill and labour shortages at 30 year highs
• Poor literacy and numeracy amongst a large
  percentage of the workforce
• Workplace injury levels continue to be higher
  than desirable
• Relatively low levels of labour productivity
• Uneven productivity growth across sectors and
  regions

6
Meeting the challenges

• New Zealand needs to address a number of
  inter-connected factors
• Participation and the social, demographic and
  economic factors that drive, support or hinder it
• Skills and the factors that enable their
  development, use and retention
• Workplace quality and productivity the
  attractiveness of and rewards from work
• Sector, industry and regional performance the
  linkages between the labour market and economic
  development

7
Inter-Connected Factors
8
Participation

• Challenges
• Social cultural change
• Demographic trends
• Changing nature and demands of work

• Responses
• Single benefit and new service approach
• Supporting parents and carers participation
• Pathways to Inclusion
• Youth transitions
• Pacific workforce strategy

9
Skills

• Challenges
• Skill and labour shortages
• Adult literacy and numeracy
• Effective utilisation of skill
• Mobility of skilled labour

• Responses
• Basic, secondary and tertiary education reforms
• Adult literacy and foundation learning strategy
• Industry training strategy
• Immigration temporary permanent
• Connecting with New Zealanders abroad

10
Workplace quality productivity

• Challenges
• Labour productivity levels are low
• Workplace injury continues to be a concern
• Workplaces not attractive to key potential
  workers

• Responses
• Workplace Productivity Agenda
• leadership management
• workplace culture
• innovation technology
• people skills
• work organisation
• networking collaboration
• measurement
• Workplace Health Safety Strategy for NZ to 2015
• Work-Life Balance Project

11
Sector regional performance

• Challenges
• Small size and openness of economy
• Imperative to lift value of products and services
• Diversity of performance across sectors and
  regions

• Responses
• Labour market information
• Sector industry engagement
• Regional engagement
• Skill and labour market leadership roles

12
Critical broader linkages

• Economic linkages
• Social linkages
• Cultural linkages

13
Reassessing the OECD Jobs Strategy

• Recognise new social and economic challenges
• Address the inter-connections between
• Participation
• Skills
• Workplace quality and productivity
• Sector, industry and regional performance
• Social and economic outcomes
• Link the jobs strategy to broader economic and
  social strategies
• Allow for the differences between countries,
  regions and their economic, social and cultural
  context