Articles

The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is used to classify occupations and jobs. This standard is jointly managed by Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

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Since the publication of ANZSCO in 2006, the structure of New Zealand’s labour market, like that of Australia and other countries, has undergone significant change. For example, in the occupation space in New Zealand, key changes include the growth of digital skills-based occupations. Similarly, ANZSCO has not kept pace with other changes in the manufacturing, accommodation, transport, aged care, and agricultural sectors.

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In 2021, the ABS undertook an Australian-targeted update on ANZSCO. Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa chose not to participate in this, due to the potential impact of changing classifications for the 2023 Census and the relevance to New Zealand of the proposed changes.

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Since then, a 2022 targeted update occurred in Australia, followed by a comprehensive Australian ANZSCO review. This review was based on priority areas for the Australian labour market and was driven by governmentand stake holder priorities in Australia. The current revised version of ANZSCO is v.1.3.

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In July 2024, Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa sought feedback on the future of classifying occupation data in Aotearoa New Zealand. The consultation period was for three weeks and closed on 9 August 2024. Four options were put forward, with Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa stating it preferred the first option:

1. Create an independent New Zealand occupation classification that leverages existing content.

2. Adopt the Australian revision of ANZSCO.

3. Adapt the Australian revision of ANZSCO to reflect New Zealand content in a joint classification.

4. Update the current version of ANZSCO for New Zealand-only classification.

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We will update this article when Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa reports on the results and outcome of the consultation.

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