Kiwis' working lives are getting longer
Working lives are getting longer as New Zealanders join the workforce earlier and work longer after retirement, according to Stats NZ.
Census data shows almost one in two Kiwis between 65-69 years old were still employed in 2023, while the percentage of people aged 15 to 29 in employment in 2023 was 65.7%, up from 56.6% in 2013.
Teenagers were the largest contributor to the increase, with employment among those aged 15 to 19 rising to 45.1% in 2023, compared with 40.7% in 2018 and 33.7% in 2013.
“Employment increased across all ages between 2013 and 2018 as the labour market recovered from the Global Financial Crisis,” said 2023 Census spokesperson Dr Rosemary Goodyear.
“However, for teenagers there was another increase in employment between 2018 and 2023, leading to larger growth over the decade compared with other age groups.”
Goodyear said other sources of labour market data, including Stats NZ’s Household Labour Force Survey, captured particularly strong employment for people aged 15 to 29 years across 2022 and 2023.
“This 2023 spike in employment for young people was likely linked to the low unemployment rate at the time, and the high unmet demand for labour following Covid-19 migration restrictions,” Goodyear said.
Meanwhile, more New Zealanders appear to be working for longer.
Employment among those aged 65 to 69 rose to 44% in 2023, up from 42.2% in both 2013 and 2018.
The percentage of those aged 70 to 74 who were employed in 2023 was 24.7%, up from 23% in 2018 and 21.9% in 2013.
For those 75 years and older, employment rose to 9.9%, compared with 8% in 2018 and 7.4% in 2013.
“The proportion of older people in employment has been steadily increasing over time,” Goodyear said.
“There are several factors which may be contributing to this trend, including better health, longer life expectancy, and financial pressures surrounding retirement.”
Data released earlier this year from Seek, as part of its Evolving Working Life report, showed cost of living pressures mean 41% of people don’t expect to retire by age 70.
Meanwhile, 32% believe they’ll be working longer than they want to.
The biggest reason for delaying retirement was that their financial situation won’t allow them to (58%).
According to Work and Income, those eligible for NZ Superannuation at 65 years old are entitled to payments even if they are still working, but the payments may be less depending on their tax code.
Meanwhile, Stats NZ said only three age groups had a decrease in employment between 2018 and 2023 – ages 25-29; ages 50-54; and ages 55-59.
The highest proportions of youth employment (15-29) were in Marlborough (75.0%), Southland (71.1%), and Tasman (71.2%).
In Auckland, youth employment was 63.9%.
Goodyear said the Marlborough region is well known for its seasonal work opportunities, particularly in fruit picking and viticulture.
“This type of work suits backpackers and young people who are looking for the opportunity to travel and gain new experiences.”
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Christmas gifts stolen from parked car prompts warning over holiday break-ins
An Auckland man whose Christmas presents were stolen from his car on a quiet street is warning others not to repeat his mistake.
Police and the AA say opportunistic thieves are breaking into cars more frequently during the Christmas period.
Jeremy Rees, an RNZ staff member in Auckland, had packed his car full of gifts when he decided to visit a friend.
“Everyone had handed over presents and we had a couple of bags full of presents sitting in the back of the car,” he said.
“I decided it would be great to go around and see a friend, drop off some presents and say hello. My wife said to me, ‘Are you sure we should be taking this car?’ I said, ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’.
“I think it was only 20 minutes outside their house, a very quiet street. It was light [outside]. We came out and my wife pointed out that someone had smashed the rear window, reached in and grabbed the presents, and headed away.
“It was a shock. It was a shock partly because of the Christmas presents and partly because my wife had been telling me, ‘Don’t do that’.”
AA Insurance head of motor claims Beau Paparoa said roadside staff were responding to smashed windows more often.
“We definitely see car break-ins starting to occur a lot more around this time of year. We’re often hearing from customers and some of our roadside teams that there’s definitely a bit more opportunistic theft happening,” he said.
“We’re putting that down to it being a busy time of year. Everyone’s out doing their Christmas shopping and there’s much more presence of gifts and valuables being visible in the car.”
He encouraged people to be careful and make sure valuables were hidden from view.
“In terms of any valuables, if you’ve done some Christmas shopping, or if generally you’ve got valuables in your car, try [to] keep them locked away or out of sight – in your boot if you can,” he said.
“Where you’re parking is possibly a good thing to think about. If you can afford to, don’t park on the street, but if you have to park on-street, make sure you park in well-lit areas.”
Police said it was not uncommon for Christmas presents to be stolen.
“The key is to remove any opportunity. This includes taking valuables or documents out of vehicles wherever possible,” a spokesperson said.
Rees said he wished he had followed that advice.
“I feel a bit stupid, to be absolutely honest. I read all of the things from police saying ‘don’t do this, don’t pack your car, don’t just leave it on the street’, and I did exactly the opposite and I paid the price.”
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Auckland Harbour Bridge summer works
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is carrying out essential maintenance on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this December and January. The southbound clip-on lanes will be closed (24/7) from 26 December to 5 January for road resurfacing. Night-time lane restrictions will be in place throughout the summer for recoating work on the bridge. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions at all times.
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